Truth and Reconciliation
by The70boss302
Summary: Hiccup decides that Berk is no longer safe. He makes the call to sever all ties from his home. What will happen when he blows his cover with the village? What will the world think when he reveals his Night Fury? Veers off from the movie.
1. Chapter 1: Break Away

Hello, just wanted to let all of you know that this is my first Fan-fic and first time attempting anything like this.

I do NOT own How to Train Your Dragon! I do NOT own anything related to it either!

Just to let you know this story starts during the scene "Not so fireproof" and continues on a different path. Anyways, hope you enjoy.

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Truth and Reconciliation

Break Away

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"Everything we know about you guys is wrong."

Hiccup was stunned. He had just finished the first real test flight with Toothless and the emotion now pouring out of him was overwhelming. It was amazing, the wind, the cool air rushing past, and the feeling of being free; this was his destiny. They even came away unscathed, well mostly. The aforementioned dragon thought that it would be more thrilling to ride through a massive ball of fire at the finish. Now his hair would probably never smell the same. He had only experienced a few short hours of it with Toothless, but now he understood how incredible the feeling was; the sky was his new home. Nothing could beat the exhilaration or the vitalization that came to him while screeching across the sky.

"Why had the gods not given humans wings?" Hiccup was reminiscing profoundly on the day's events.

There was a pause while Hiccup was looking at the heaving body of the Night Fury. Toothless had just finished his well-deserved afternoon snack, and was purring happily because of it. Seeing as all the fish had been eaten, the Terrors decided to fly away. Hiccup was amazed how little the Vikings knew about dragons. The boy couldn't help but be in shock about how much this particular Night Fury had started to mean to him.

Hiccup was doing everything with the dragon now. He would wake up early and run to the cove just so he could see the awaiting Night Fury. He figured the dragon was just excited for his morning meal, but he wouldn't let that dilute the moment's enthusiasm. The boy would spend all day with the beast, only to leave wishing the day had a few extra hours.

Hiccup stared off into the sunset knowing that he soon he would have to return to the degenerate village. He admired his friend's stature and then it dawned on him.

He sighed. "This isn't going to work anymore."

Toothless cocked his head and eyed him as if asking 'what isn't?'.

"I don't think that we can stay on the island too much longer. Toothless, if we stay, than the other Vikings could potentially find you, and they wouldn't hesitate for one second to executing you."

Toothless snorted and rolled his eyes in response. || They could try. ||

Hiccup chuckled at the thought. "Yeah, I'm not sure if the Vikings could manage to slay 'the unholy off-spring of lightning and death itself'."

Toothless held his head up high and smirked at the statement. The dragon was proud of his menacing reputation.

Hiccup gave a sly smile to the egotistical dragon. "Still though, we can't risk staying on Berk much longer. I can tell that some of the other kids are getting suspicious, especially Astrid. She has really been watching me closely. She said that she could tell that I wasn't even threatening the other dragons in the kill ring." Even while defeating all the dragons thrown at him, the other teens still had no trust or faith in him.

Hiccup looked to Toothless and saw the pity in his eyes. Toothless knew how Hiccup felt about the other Vikings, and how they have treated him over the years. The dragon was furious when Hiccup told him how cruel and hurtful every other person on the island has been to him, and how they tormented the boy his entire life. Hiccup was actually afraid of what Toothless would do to the others if he had the chance.

"I'll start working on getting things together so that we can leave. Maybe after a year or so we can come back and try to show them how dragons are just...misunderstood."

Toothless crooned to him and gave him a reassuring nod.

"Thanks bud. You always listen to me, even when I'm venting and feeling sorry for myself."

Hiccup reached over and gave his friend a seemingly everlasting hug.

Toothless laid his head over his humans back and lowered his wing to completely conceal the boy. || I wouldn't have it any other way. ||

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"Lousy! Cheating! Liar!... I can't believe that Hiccup of all people is going to best me in dragon training."

Astrid was truly infuriated and shouting at the trees as she lodged her axe into them. The tree was scarred to the point that with a few more good hits, the entire hundred-footer would topple to the ground.

Astrid laid on a nearby rock and tried to figure out the reason how Hiccup had be misleading them. She knew that he was a fake. He had to be, there's no way a talking fishbone could beat her. The dragons he fought never even attempted to hurt him and he never attempted to hurt them. She couldn't understand why the dragons would act the way they did around the boy, but she knew he was up to something and she planned on finding out.

"What does _he_ have for the dragons that I don't?"

She sat back up the stone and covered her eyes with her palms.

"I will find out his secret and will regain my status of being the best. I will return him to being the mistake of Berk that he always was."

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Hiccup arrived back in the forge and was trying to think of everything he would need to be able to survive on his own with Toothless. He was rolling his pencil up and down his sloped sketching table when his dad stumbled into the room.

"Dad! Wh-what are you doing here?"

Stoick eyed his son and said "I came looking for you, you weren't home, and I wanted to make sure you have held up ok while I was gone."

Hiccup realized that it had already been three weeks since he had seen his father last. Time had flown by ever since he met Toothless. "Right, sorry about that. I've just had a lot on my mind that's all."

Stoick had a proud look on his face. "As I've heard, Gobber says you're the new celebrity in town!"

Hiccup caught on to what his father was implying. "Oh, right." He was only a celebrity to the older Vikings who haven't yet caught on to his 'cheating'.

Stoick still held his head high and exclaimed "This is wonderful! My boy is finally becoming a Viking and with you doing so well in the ring, I can finally show myself in public!".

Hiccup sat in silence as he grew irritated by his father's words. He was stumped and couldn't figure out what to say. It was running through his mind, 'Should I tell him about the Night Fury? Should I tell him I plan on leaving?... No.'

Stoick was pleased with the boy. "It would make your mother very happy to see you succeeding like this."

Hiccup thought about her for a moment. 'What would she think of him, seeing her son riding away on the back of the most reclusive dragon known?' "I hope she would be proud."

His father didn't doubt that she would. "Well, you have a big day tomorrow, so I'll let you get back to whatever is was you were doing and I will see you back at home"

Hiccup was relieved that his father was going as he needed to work out his new adventure. "Alright dad I'll see you back at home and if I don't, then goodnight!"

Stoick felt accomplished for finally speaking more than five words with his son and not arguing. "Goodnight son." He exited the room and then the forge. He paused when he remembered the helmet he wanted to give to his son. "I'll give it to him to once he shows me that he is capable."

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Astrid walked into the great hall where the other kids were eating breakfast.

Snotlout noticed her first. "There you are Astrid! Aren't you pumped for dragon training this afternoon? Gobber said that today's the day that the elder chooses between you and Hiccup."

Astrid smirked at the boys' name and looked around the room. "Where is the village screw-up anyway?"

Fishlegs piped up and clued in Astrid. "We saw him about an hour ago just as the sun was cresting. He said he wanted to practice a little bit before today's training."

The twins had the same idea that Astrid had. "Why is he always training alone, and in the forest?"

Snotlout rubbed his beardless chin as he was thinking. "We should go find him. I want to see it for myself what his 'abilities' are. Maybe he really does have someone else giving him tips and teaching him to fight."

Fishlegs was looking oddly uncomfortable. "Maybe we should just let him be and wait until he gets back to ask him."

The twins seemed to speak at the same time. "That's dumb." Tuffnut continued. "He would never tell us his secrets. We need to go and find him in the act then we'll know what he really is doing."

Astrid still was thinking it over and growing more and more frustrated with the boy at hand. "Well, he's probably in the middle of practice right now so let's hurry up and find the misfit."

The other teens quickly finished the last bite of food they had and immediately rushed out the door. The teens barreled into the woods the way Fishlegs said Hiccup went.

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Hiccup was having a great morning with Toothless. He woke up extra early just so he could have as much time with his best friend as possible. He was up all night really getting excited about being able to go off alone with the dragon and push aside all of his troubles and worries.

"They would never even think twice about me being gone. It will be as if nothing ever happened and I was never even born."

Toothless purred in response of the ecstatic teen. He was eating an abnormally large breakfast that Hiccup had brought for him. Hiccup had said that he didn't want him being malnourished tonight while they would search for their new home.

Hiccup stared at Toothless and smiled. "You know what, let's go for a walk. I want to be able to remember this island, but I don't want you using too much energy in case our flight tonight is a long one." Hiccup decided that leaving after sunset would be best, so that they could use the Night Fury's dark obsidian hide to their advantage.

Toothless huffed at the mention of walking, but gave in as they flew up to the lip of the cove to start their last trek of the island.

The duo hiked up and down hills and playfully rolled across the meadows. Toothless loved the feeling of grass on his scales. It was like lying on a giant pillow.

Hiccup was glancing up at the peaks trying to take in the natural beauty of mountain. "I wonder if everywhere is as beautiful as Berk."

Toothless cooed to Hiccup and gave him the feeling that wherever they go will be fine as long as they were together.

Hiccup grinned at the dragon. "I just hope that wherever we find to live has enough fish to feed your hungry stomach. It took everything I had to bring you your breakfast."

Looking offended, Toothless pushed Hiccup aside and made his way to a large boulder that jutted out of the ground. The enormous rock provided enough shade underneath for the two to rest and gave them an incredible view filled with the field that led to a large mountain on the right and the crashing sea on the left.

Hiccup sat down against the dragon and looked up at the sun seeing that it wasn't even nearing the highest point in the sky, meaning they had plenty of time left before he had to leave. "I think that I can get used to this."

Toothless looked to his human and purred affectionately.

Hiccup gave a slight chuckle to the purring. "I really wish I knew what your side of the conversation was."

Toothless eyed the boy. ||What I would give to be able to carry on a conversation with you. ||

The two sat in silence for a little while longer; taking in the magnificent sight before them and enjoying each-others company.

Suddenly there was some shuffling on the other side of the rock above them.

Hiccup overheard Snotlout. "Where does that boy go? We have been looking forever and we haven't seen a trace of him."

Astrid sounded annoyed and huffed. "We have been looking for an hour and you have done nothing but complain."

Hiccup put his finger over his mouth trying to make sure Toothless would stay quiet and out of sight. The Dragon rolled his eyes but complied by resting his head on Hiccups lap. They saw a pair of legs hang over the edge of the rock above them, then four more sets settle next to them. Hiccup put his face in his palms. They must be taking a break as well.

Tuffnut decided to break the silence. "Why are we looking for Hiccup again? I mean I know we want to see what he's been doing, but why is it so important that we all have to come out here sweating our butts off?"

Astrid eyed him angrily. "It doesn't bother you that Hiccup's been cheating this whole time and making all of us look bad?"

Ruffnut chimed in. "I think that you're just jealous. I know I am."

Hiccup felt good for once as he overheard Ruffnut's statement.

Snotlout immediately laughed at that. "Ha ha. What is there to be jealous of? He's still just as pathetic and weak as ever! All that stuff in the ring has just been luck. It's like the dragons give him mercy by not killing him."

Tuffnut raised his hand and high-fived Snotlout.

Toothless looked up at Hiccup and saw pain in his eyes. He gave a quiet low rumble showing his distaste for the humans above. Hiccup shook off Snotlout's criticism knowing he didn't want Toothless and himself getting spotted.

Ruffnut stared at her feet. "Well I think that Astrid's just upset that the spotlight's not on her anymore."

Astrid's blood was now boiling with rage. "There is nothing I could ever want from that sorry excuse for a Hooligan! Hiccup hasn't given this village anything at all! All he ever does is screw around and put others in danger. He is just a worthless, puny, insignificant blacksmith that is a waste of our precious food and supplies!"

There was a moment of silence while everyone took in Astrid's outburst.

Hiccups heart sank as he absorbed her humiliating words. He wasn't that bad, was he? He never knew that people thought _that_ lowly of him.

Toothless felt a drop of liquid hit his scales, but he didn't need to look to know where it came from. He knew how hard that tantrum hit Hiccup. No one deserved to be ridiculed that badly. He couldn't blame anyone for sobbing after anything like that. He raised himself up and made his way toward the edge of the overhanging stone.

Hiccup stuttered a whisper. "To-Toothless, no!"

Toothless didn't even look back. || No one will treat my Hiccup like that and go unpunished. ||

Toothless lowered himself slightly and leapt over the edge of the rock. He spread his wings wide, shoving the teens to the side, save Astrid, who was pinned to the ground. He growled fiercely into the face of the girl that spoke so vulgarly of his human.

All the other teens were forcefully driven to the side by the blow of the dragon. They were in shock and couldn't believe what was before them.

Fishlegs stuttered under his breath just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Ni-Night Fury."

Astrid was speechless. Immobilized on the ground underneath the enraged dragon, she couldn't help but look into its eyes. The thin slit of black showed all the emotion the dragon was feeling: the intent to kill was plain as day.

Her thoughts raced as she struggled to breathe. 'Why was she singled out amongst the group and why was this dragon so pissed at her?'

Snotlout frantically looked around to see if there was anything to use as a weapon. "What do we do!?"

Toothless started to build a fire inside him and was sucking in air to fuel it. Astrid squeezed her eyes shut and prepared for the blast. She was going to die now; there was nothing she could do.

"TOOTHLESS NO!"

The dragon stopped but did not remove its eyes from its prey; it just continued growling deeply. The other teens all looked in the direction from which the scream came. There stood Hiccup breathing heavily with tear stains down his cheek.

Astrid was again filled with rage. "Hiccup, what the hell are you doing, and what do you mean Toothless?!"

Toothless roared into Astrid's face at the mention of his name.

Hiccup didn't want to bother trying to explain. "Come on Toothless, let's get out of here."

Toothless gave another vicious growl, but he aimed it at all the teens then made his way over to the boy. Hiccup leapt on to the saddle and started to buckle himself in.

Astrid spoke up once more. "That's right Hiccup just run away! That's all you ever do is run from your problems." She turned away and faced the other teens. "Wait until Gobber hears this one. I always knew he would end up a traitor."

Hiccup turned towards the other teens. "No, I just gave the enemy a chance, and didn't try to kill it."

Toothless snorted and jumped into the air to head back to the cove.

The teens all stared at the black dragon as it flew off towards Raven Point.

Snotlout was completely puzzled. "What do we do now?"

Tuffnut shared the same face as Snotlout. "I guess we should go tell the village that Hiccup, i-is a traitor."

Astrid quickly replied. "No! We will make _him_ reveal himself to the village the liar he truly is, so that everyone can see for themselves the liar that he really is. I'm sure at the sight of him befriending the enemy he will be killed on sight."

The other teens nodded in agreement and started their trek back to the village.

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Hiccup's mind was racing while he was pacing on the edge of the pond. He wasn't sure what to do. He had to go back to the village. All of his supplies were still there and he couldn't leave the island without them. "But if I go back then the other kids are just going to tell all the Vikings that I betrayed them and I would wind up being banished at best." Hiccup didn't want to think about the worst. There was a pause while Hiccup weighed his options. "I'll just have to risk it; we won't be able to survive unless I have that stuff."

Toothless gave a low rumble in distaste for the plan. Being chased off the island was NOT what the Night Fury had in mind to start their journey.

Hiccup tried to reassure the dragon. "I'll just get the supplies and get out as quick as I can. I won't be long at all, no more than an hour." Hiccup Still felt unsure himself about going back to the village.

Toothless was still upset, but he calmly crooned to Hiccup. He knew they would need his gear in order for Hiccup to endure their journey.

The boy looked to his best friend. "I'll be back as soon as I can Toothless. Then we will get of this island for good."

It all started to set in on Hiccup. This was it, they really were leaving and it was really just the two of them. He felt his heart beat uneasily; He would now have no one else except for Toothless, and he was leaving behind everyone and everything he had ever known.

Hiccup gave the dragon a hug just in case it would be there last. Toothless purred to the teary eyed boy and wrapped his wings around him for comfort.

Hiccup looked out of the top of his cocoon to see the dragon's eyes staring back at him. "Thanks bud." Toothless nodded and held the boy tighter.

With that, Hiccup released his hold from Toothless and slowly made his way away from the dragon. He scaled the wall of the cove, and gave a final wave to his friend and whispered to himself. "Please let nothing go wrong." He then proceeded back to the village of Berk... for the last time.

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Hiccup was scrambling around his house trying to get all of his stuff into the sack. "Fishing pole, check. Extra clothes, check. Extra leather, check." He checked off several other items and got his gear all together. He stepped outside ready to walk back to the cove, but he realized he forgot his journal. He set the basket of supplies next to the house and ran back inside. "Stupid notebook!" He tucked it into the pocket in his vest and proceeded out the door again.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup gasped as he saw Snotlout and Tuffnut running up to him.

Snotlout had an eager look on his face. "Come on. You're going to be late for your final test in the kill ring"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I'm not going. I'm leaving."

Snotlout grabbed Hiccups arm. "Oh yes you are going. You're going to show everyone how you _really_ fight a dragon."

Hiccup couldn't do anything. He cursed his poor strength as he couldn't budge from Snotlout's grip. All of the protests he made were ignored while he was practically dragged all the way to the kill ring. Most of the village had gathered to see whether it would be Hiccup or Astrid to kill the nightmare. He was harshly pushed into the ring where Astrid stood.

Astrid looked to Hiccup. "Now everyone will see the traitor that you are."

Hiccup's heart sank. He knew that if he tried to befriend this dragon then everyone would find out he was a she was right. He scanned the outside of the arena and spotted his father. Stoick had a proud look on his face and pointed a finger to him as if to say 'don't disappoint me'. Hiccup cringed as the gate to one of the cages began to unlock. He didn't know what to do. He hadn't planned on this and now he was stuck fighting a dragon.

The cage burst opened and out came an enraged Gronckle. Hiccup ran to the side of the arena to avoid one of the blasts from the dragon. The Gronckle had followed and fired again, but luckily it bounced off the weapons rack. He sprinted over to where Astrid was standing hoping that she could just knock out the dragon and get to go on.

Astrid scoffed at Hiccup. "Go on. Go and 'train' the dragon."

Hiccup dodged a blast from the Gronckle and looked confused at Astrid. "What? No."

Astrid gave a slight chuckle and started to walk towards the dragon."Fine. Then I'll just have to kill it!"

Hiccup glanced back at Astrid again shocked. "No!" Astrid ignored him and raised her battle axe then gathered aim. She threw the axe with all the power she could, headed straight at the face of the Gronckle.

"NO! STOP!" ...Hiccup looked up and saw that Astrid had missed the dragon. "What? Why?" Everyone was staring at him with puzzled faces and Astrid was running for her axe again. Hiccup couldn't let her just kill the dragon because of him. He rushed over to the distracted Gronckle and rapidly scratched that special spot under his chin. The dragon almost instantly passed out.

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Toothless was pacing the pond wondering why his human was not back yet. || He said it would be no more than an hour, but it's now going on two! ||

He struggled at what to do and feared the worst for his Hiccup. || What if he was captured? What if they planned on killing him for betraying his tribe? ||

Toothless looked over at the pile of ashes where the campfire they had the night before was. He couldn't stop fearing for his boy. || Why couldn't we have just both gone? We could have flown in and flown out in less than five minutes. This is all my fault; I shouldn't have let him go alone. ||

A scream echoed through the forest "No! Stop!"

Toothless would recognize that voice anywhere. That was Hiccup and it meant that he was in danger. Toothless didn't wait another second. He leapt up the cliff side trying to claw his way to the top. He scrambled on the side of the cove desperately to reach the edge. The dragon came within five feet before falling due to his missing fin.|| Curse this wretched tail! || He scanned the rim of the cove and dashed over to where he saw Hiccup sitting that one day when he dropped his pencil. He gave another try and ricocheted off the rocks to the side. He kept fighting his way up when felt the lip of the cove at the edge of his paw. He immediately unsheathed his claws and forcefully hauled his way over the edge. || I'm coming Hiccup, just a little bit longer. ||

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There was silence at the arena. Stoick had leapt down to where the young Vikings stood along with several others. He eyed the boy carefully. "Hiccup, why did you scream for Astrid not to throw the axe? How did you know that the dragon would pass out when scratched?"

Hiccup was lost for words. "Uhh- uh, well…"

Astrid didn't feel like waiting for Hiccup to come up with an excuse. "It's because he's a fake! He has changed sides and now works _with_ the dragons. He even supports a Night Fury!"

Stoick had a puzzled look across his face. He knew his son would make a claim so rash, but Astrid Hofferson? She doesn't seem to care what other people think of her. "Is this true Hiccup?"

Hiccup stared at the ground in shame. He knew that everything Astrid said was true and there would be no use trying to fight against it. There were too many witnesses when Toothless attacked Astrid. He pondered for a moment. "They're not dangerous! We just misunderstand them!"

There was some whispering in the audience, but the only word that got through to Hiccup was 'traitor'. Hiccup lost his breath. On the island on Berk the last thing you wanted to be was a traitor. They were viewed as lowest status possible and were killed on sight.

Stoick gazed down at the boy. "You've thrown your lot in with them." He gestured to the Gronckle that was being forced back into it's cage. "You know what we do with traitors Hiccup! You're not to be treated any different…. Apprehend him!"

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* * *

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Toothless finally made it to the village. Why was it empty? He couldn't find anyone at all let alone _his_ human. He bolted for the forge, but Hiccup was not there. He circled the town square and still found no trace.

He heard some commotion coming from across the bay. It sounded like people were yelling, 'Kill him, kill him!'. This was bad. He knew that Hiccup had to be the cause for this. The kill ring came into sight and he knew Hiccup was inside. He could feel it deep in his chest.

###

* * *

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Hiccup had a fear plastered across his face. He struggled against the pull of Spitelout. This was it; he was going to die here by the hand of his father. "Dad."

Stoick roared at the boy. "You're not a Viking! You're not my son." He raised the sword high above his head ready to strike.

Hiccup looked down to the ground. There was nothing he could do. He silently prepared for the blow of the sword.

There was a high pitched whistle. Everyone, especially Hiccup, knew what that sound entailed and feared the worst.

"NIGHT FURY! GET DOWN!"

A blast impacted on the side of the cage and Toothless dove through the hole. Smoke filled the arena. Toothless lunged at the Vikings that were threatening his boy. He used his tail to swat them away and into the walls of the ring.

As the smoke cleared everyone was in shock to see the enraged Night Fury heaving over Hiccup and growling vigorously at Stoick and Spitelout. Everyone was frozen in fear. No one had ever even seen a Night Fury and now there was one right in front of them, seemingly more pissed than ever.

Hiccup had a stern look on his face as he slowly climbed on the back of the murderous dragon. He raised his head to address the crowd. "It doesn't have to be like this! We don't have to kill them." Everyone was just staring at them in the middle of the ring. "These dragons are not the mindless beasts we once thought they were."

Toothless gave a snort to the statement.

Stoick was in a mix of shock and rage. He was breathing heavily and was not about to let a deranged boy on the back of a dragon tell him that everything that he had lived for was wrong. "I'll never forgive these devils for what they have done to my village!"

Toothless roared at the chief which sent a bone chilling fear down the crowd's spines. Hiccup knew that they needed to go. There was no hope in trying to convince the village like this. They would only resent him more if he tried to force it upon them. "There will be a day when you all realize what these dragons are really like. You will see that they are loving creatures. You will see that when we work together can accomplish far greater tasks that when apart. You will see the greatness they can achieve. You will see the truth behind my words."

Stoick got to his feet and with a loud roar, began to charge the duo. Toothless decided that he had enough of this. He gave another terrifying roar, turned, and leapt through the hole from which he came in. Hiccup quickly adjusted the fin to lead them back to his house. Toothless obeyed and soared over to the village.

Hiccup quickly grabbed the basket he had left out and remounted the Night Fury. With that, the dragon kicked off the ground and soared into the sky. Toothless gave several powerful beats of his wings propelling the two away from the place which they used to call home.

The crowd could do nothing but watch as the Night Fury became nothing but a black speck in the sky. It had happened so fast. None of the Vikings even had time to reach for their weapons. The crowd just stood in awe the most reclusive dragon ever known flew off in the distance.

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AN: Well...What did you think? Should I continue the story? If the story is favored upon, I would like to end up making this about 20- 25 chapters with each being somewhere around the length of this. I really hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. I tried to differentiate this fic from the others I have read. I never read one that had Hiccup leave before the final exam and Astrid meeting Toothless on her own.

Also, sorry for any and all the spelling/ grammatical errors. I'm not very skilled in this field and apparently neither is spell check.

BTW, I found out the hard way that re-reading Star-Struck Inu's "Only Mine" while trying to write your own story makes yours look awful. Kudos to Star-Struck Inu...You really have created a masterpiece, and thank you to all of the writers on here for inspiring me to write this fic.

Anyways, please be nice (remember it's my first fic). I really want to continue this and make it a joy for everyone to read.


	2. Chapter 2: Safe and Sounds

AN:Well, I'm back. You guys really know how to make someone feel good about their story. Thank you to all of the people who reviewed.

Disclaimer: This fic is rated T. It will contain mild language, blood and violence. There will be no slash.

I will be continuing this fic and hopefully everyone will love it as much as I do. I will try to release a chapter a week, but don't hold me to it.

So with that I give you:

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Truth and Reconciliation

Safe and Sounds

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The flight away from Berk was filled with depression and resentment. Hiccup starred down at Toothless below him. The Night Fury's scales were glistening in the sunset. Hiccup wasn't really keeping track with how long there voyage was. According to the sun, it should have been about seven or eight o'clock. He was twitching his foot along, allowing Toothless to lead the way. He figured the dragon had a just as good of a chance to find a resting place as he did.

Hiccup's mind kept racing back to event back at the ring as he scanned the horizon. He kept hearing his father's words over and over playing in his head. "You're not a Viking, You're not my son." 'How could a man say something so hurtful to his own son?' He looked back to the dragon that started all of this. 'I guess Toothless is my family now.' Hiccup realized that even though he hated leaving the only 'home' he ever knew, nothing would be worse than losing the best friend he's made in the past few weeks.

Hiccup looked back only to see a stretch of vast water and whitecaps. He thought about how awfully the village had treated him. "I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just wanted to help. All of those terrible nights when we would struggle against force of the dragons, I only tried to help. I may have made a few mistakes along the way, but I never thought they were 'that' bad."

Toothless looked up when he heard the sound of his humans voice. He completely understood why Hiccup was upset, though he remained silent; all that could be heard was the water below rustling and the occasional beat of his wings. His own mind was racing through what had just happened.

|| I was so close….So close. If I had been a minute later, then his body would have been nothing but a few scattered limbs and a puddle of blood. || Toothless shivered at the thought of his human being taken. There was nothing worse than having him being killed. Toothless knew that if the strike of that sword had come down, then he would have died as well. The words echoed through his brain. 'A downed dragon is a dead dragon.' His mind threw a picture of the dragon who told him that. He had fond memories of that Skrill. Toothless knew that even his tail wouldn't have been the cause of his death though. Even 'if' he could have flown away, he would never be able to survive without Hiccup at his side. || I cannot let that happen again. He will not die as long as I contain the power to stop it…Never again. ||

The boy and the dragon continued on as the sun neared the horizon. Both remained silent as they replayed the day's episode in their heads.

A wave of relief washed over the duo as a small island came into view. "Finally, a place to relax and get some sleep." Toothless crooned to the boy as he briskly flew over to the landmass. Hiccup clicked the tailfin to lower them down, but Toothless stayed level. "Come on bud, we really need to take a break. I'm too exhausted to do aerobatics."

Toothless huffed at the boy. || You really think I have the energy for that right now? || Toothless remained high above as he crossed over the beach. He was searching the island for any and all life forms. He did not want to deal with another human village if one were established.

Hiccup finally caught on to what his dragon was doing and realized how ignorant he was being. "Oh… Right."

After circling the island and confirming that there were no living beings residing on its surface, they located a good location to stop and rest for the night. There was a small gorge at the highest point of the island with a few crevices that could keep them out of the rain if need be. Toothless lowered slowly and rustled the leaves by the wind from his wings as he landed.

Hiccup slid off the dragon's and stretched, aching from the long journey. "Oh man, fleeing from your own village really takes it out of you." Toothless narrowed his eyes at the boy as he stretched his own tense muscles. || And you didn't have to do any of the work. || Hiccup looked to the dragon with pity. "Here, let me get that saddle off of you. I don't want you to get a rash from those straps."

Toothless stayed completely still to let the boy work with ease. Once the saddle was off Toothless walked over to the grass and rolled leisurely. || That feels so much better. ||

Hiccup chuckled at the dragon and started to gather some wood for a fire. He walked along the edge of the tree line picking up any small branches and sticks that would burn well. He heard some rustling from just behind him and quickly turned to see what it was. The boy nearly fell over laughing when he caught sight of the Night Fury uprooting a small tree. "Haha, you know you don't need to help gather wood for me." Said dragon huffed and continued to drag the now dead tree over to their makeshift camp.

Hiccup finally had a pile of wood stacked into a small area. He nodded to Toothless, which lead to a bright blast of plasma being shot straight into the middle of the pile. The blue plasma faded and was overtaken by the orange mass of warm fire. Hiccup sat down with the Night Fury and leaned back against the pitch black scales. "Thanks buddy. You're much more efficient than me trying to start a fire with some flint." Toothless nudged the boy's head, purring softly.

Hiccup scratched the dragon to show his appreciation. "Well Toothless, we're finally on our own. No one else except you and me. No more leaving at dark to go back to the village and no more 'dragon training'…..From now on our days are going to be filled with new places, meeting new dragons, and maybe even convincing a few people to trust you guys. We can even find a deserted island that we can call our own." Hiccup was staring up at the stars smiling with optimism. He felt a yawn escape and turned to his dragon. "Would you mind if I slept on your side tonight?" Toothless cocked his head and gazed to his human. || You think you're sleeping anywhere else? || The dragon unfurled his wing and draped it over Hiccup's fragile body.

Hiccup laid his head down on Toothless' foreleg. The heat radiating off the dragon's body was incredible. He wondered if he had ever had this comfortable of a place to sleep in. He closed his eyes and thought to himself, 'I wonder if he will let me sleep here every night.'

With that, Toothless scanned the surroundings once more before placing his head under his wing. He examined his now sleeping human with satisfaction. || I could get used to this. ||

###

* * *

###

Hiccup woke to a blinding light through his eyelids. He immediately raised his hands to protect his eyes. "What is that light?" Hiccup groaned at the pain from the illumination. He started to allow little bits of the bright white come through to slowly adjust. He was blinking rapidly, but all he could start to see was white and….clouds? "Where am I?" He was feeling around, but there was nothing. All he could make out was a gentle mist. "Toothless?... Hello?... Anybody?"

{{ Hello Hiccup. }}

Said boy quickly turned to find the source of the voice. It was almost like it was all around him. "Where are you? Who are you? Where is Toothless?" He nearly shouted the last question.

{{ Calm down my son. Your admirable Night Fury is fine. He is still back with your body. }}

Hiccup didn't understand what the anonymous voice was saying. "What do you mean? He's with my body, but am I not here?"

{{ Only spiritually, I have called you here so that I can expand your mind. }}

"I still don't get it, are you saying you're….. a god?"

{{ Somewhere along the lines of that Hiccup. }}

Hiccup had an awestruck look on his face. 'Why would a god want to deal with me?' He scanned the area but nothing was in sight. "What do you mean 'expand my mind'?"

{{ Being that you are a human, you typically only use twenty percent of your brains capability. Vikings like yourself, don't need very much to get through their daily lives, and the human brain won't work unless it is needed. A typical dragon, such as a Deadly Nadder or a Monstrous Nightmare, will use just under half. It takes more power to breathe fire and use extra limbs. But a Night Fury, the most intelligent of creatures, they have the potential to use _all_ of their brain power. }}

"So you're saying that you're going to let me use the rest of 'my' mind, like Toothless?"

{{ Not entirely. I will grant you access to a specific area in your mind. }}

"What area will you expand?"

{{ That is for me to know and for you to find out. }}

Hiccup was slightly frustrated, but he didn't see the point in trying to argue with someone who could probably end his life in an instant. "But what did _I_ do to deserve this. I mean, I've never done anything worth bragging about."

{{ Maybe nothing to brag about to _humans_….Yet. }}

The boy tried to think about what the voice was implying. "Do you mean befriending Toothless?"

{{ Exactly Hiccup. No one has ever even considered trying to make peace with the dragons. Hiccup, you have done something truly remarkable, and I can see a bright future for you and your friend. }}

"So it's a _g__ood_ thing I didn't kill Toothless?"

{{ Yes, this is why you are being rewarded as such. You deserve to know some of _your_ brain's potential. It will help you achieve your destiny. }}

Hiccup saw the light dimming and felt the world starting to fade. "Wait, how will I know to use it? Will I ever come back here again?"

{{ You will notice the power instantly. Whether you are called back here depends on how you live your life. You will face challenges ahead and you must choose to either fight or fly. Your bond with Toothless has shown great accomplishment and I expect you to protect him with honor. That Night Fury of yours is more important than you know. }}

"I will always protect him. He means more to me than any other in the world."

Hiccups vision darkened to a black haze as he heard the voice speak once more.

{{ I know Hiccup, I know. }}

###

* * *

###

Toothless was frantically running around Hiccup's motionless body. 'What's wrong with him? He's not moving, he's not responding.' The dragon nudged the boy's face to try and bring him from his deep slumber. || Please wake up Hiccup. ||

It had been two hours since the dragon woke and he had been trying to wake Hiccup ever since. Toothless had tried everything from shouting to shaking the boy's body, but nothing seemed to work. But finally, after what seemed like ages, the boy started to twitch and groan.

Hiccup groaned as he started to wake from his hours of endless sleep. He started to hear a deep frantic voice calling his name. His senses all started to work at once.

|| Hiccup! || Toothless started getting ecstatic as he noticed the boy coming to.

Hiccup couldn't make out who it was that was calling his name. "Who's there?" There was a waft of warm air brushed across his face. He opened his eyes only to see the Night Fury's face inches from his own. "Hey Toothless, what's wrong bud?"

|| Thank the heavens you're alive. ||

Hiccup threw his body around searching for the deep voice that just sounded. He looked to Toothless puzzled "Who was that bud?" The dragon starred deeply into the eyes of his human.

|| Hiccup…. can you hear me? ||

Hiccup did nothing but bob his head slightly. The two sat in silence for a moment longer. "To-Toothless, I think I can hear you! This- this is amazing! I never thought that I would ever get to have the sound of your voice fill my head!"

Toothless had a blank stare as he thought about the miracle that just transpired.

|| How did this happen? ||

"I don't know! I mean, I was in the heavens and there was this god. Now I can hear you, it's wonderful!"

|| There was a god? ||

"Yeah, he said something about how I deserved to have my mind…..expanded. That's it!"

|| What's it? ||

"Well he said that humans only use like twenty percent of their brain power, and he was going to expand mine because what you and I have done together."

|| You mean because we bonded together? ||

"Yeah exactly. Man this is great, you sound just as I imagined! Your deep profound voice, it makes you sound like you have a long and respected history."

Toothless curled around his boy and huffed into his hair. || Probably more than you would like to know. ||

"But that's just it! Now we can finally share our pasts and actually have a two-sided conversation."

|| You have no idea how much I've wanted that….. It's always been me trying to convey an answer through mixed emotions and sounds.||

"And now we will always be able to know what the other is thinking." Hiccup leaned into the dragon's side and wrapped his arms around his scaly neck. He shed a tear onto Toothless' side, who which crooned wholehearted to the boy. "I-I'm just really happy buddy."

They both sat and enjoyed each other's presence. Hiccup tried to think of a good question to ask but didn't want to sound dumb. "So, how many years have you lived?"

Toothless looked puzzled at the boy. ||You mean how many winters have passed? ||

"Yeah. Sorry, forgot that you probably wouldn't keep track of the years."

|| Well, I'm not entirely sure, but probably somewhere around seventy winters. ||

"Seventy! Bu-but how many years will you live?!"

Toothless chuckled slightly at the boy having a nervous breakdown. || Relax, they say a typical Night Fury lives for about a thousand years. I'm just getting started with my life. You will perish long before I will. ||

Hiccup was now awestruck. "Wow, a thousand years. You could do so much in a lifetime. You could outlive me almost fifteen times!"

|| Yes, perhaps if I had not met you. ||

Hiccups enthusiasm started to fade. "What do you mean?"

|| I have had a long time to think about it, but I don't think my heart will be able to take it when you die. My body will most likely give up after a heartbreak like that. ||

"That's terrible." Hiccup looked to the ground slightly let down. "So, if you never met me then you would have had a full life?"

|| Yes….But I wouldn't trade it for the entire world. You have changed my life so drastically, there is nothing more I want except to share every second with you. ||

Hiccup's heart sank. It wasn't just that he dramatically shorted his best friend's life that shocked him. It was how strongly the dragon felt about him and how he felt the same. "I feel the same way about you buddy."

Toothless purred and laid his head down on the boys lap. They were amazed, going without words for so long and now realizing how close they actually were to each other. The two admired each other endlessly. Their eyes never leaving the other's; what they saw in each other was loyalty. Loyalty that showed how either one would gladly die for the other. It was the pure loyalty that said, 'I will never leave your side; I will never let you fall.'.

They sat in silence for little longer, lost in the others mind. Hiccup blinked rapidly when he remembered what Toothless had mentioned. "When you said 'they say a typical Night Fury lives for a thousand years', wouldn't you know? I mean, what about your family? Haven't they told you about your heritage?"

|| I thought you knew. ||

"Knew what?"

|| A Night Fury is the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. ||

"That's what the book of dragons says, but that doesn't tell me about how you guys live."

Toothless sighed as he didn't know he was going to have to explain this. || When a Night Fury dies, a storm will come. A bolt of lightning mixed with plasma will reign down and into the dragon's body. The combination of the two forces will- ||

"Spawn a Night Fury."

|| Yes, exactly. Because of this, there has never been more than one Night Fury. It has always been the Night Fury's job to lead and change something within the world in a meaningful way. ||

Hiccup's mind drifted to the encounter he had with the God as he whispered. "He is more important than you know."

|| What was that? ||

"It was what the god said right before I left. He said that I need to protect you and that you are more important than I know, but now I understand. You're supposed to change the world in a meaningful way."

Toothless raised his head and stared of into the distance. || Every Night Fury before me has done something in the past that was significant. The most recent ended the war between the Skrills and the other dragon species. That was the longest any war had ever gone on for. They fought for centuries over which species would rule the skies. ||

"How did he end it?"

|| He showed them the truth and reconciled their differences. He showed them that skies could never belong to one single species. ||

Hiccup was blown away by the story. "So what is that you have to do?"

|| Night Furies are never told what they must do. They should feel it in their heart. Whatever it is to be done, it is always spectacular. ||

Hiccup eyed the dragon astonished. "What do you feel it is for your ambition?"

|| I have to make peace…..Peace between the humans and the dragons. ||

"I was kind of hoping you weren't going to say that."

|| Me too Hiccup….Me too. ||

"How long have you known about your destiny?"

|| Since the day you placed your hand on my snout. When you touched me, everything became clear. From that moment on, I knew that this was my purpose. I am to end the war that is as old as human and dragon existence. ||

There was a moment of silence as the weight of the conversation bore down on the two. Neither could imagine the difficulty in trying to convince the stubborn Vikings and the isolated dragons to work together.

Hiccup's stomach decided to break the silence. "Maybe we should try and find some food." Hiccup's face was turning several shades redder by the second.

Toothless chuckled at the pathetic sounding moan. || Was that your stomach? ||

"Yes. Now come on, I need to feed it before it eats my other organs."

|| It doesn't really do that, does it? ||

"No. Well, at least I hope not."

The two got up from their resting place and walked over to the sea. Hiccup cast his fishing line into the water and waited patiently. Toothless was just off to the side, tracking a rabbit. As soon as Hiccup had caught about a dozen fish he returned to the camp. He turned around to see the smug looking Night Fury trotting towards him with a large bunny hanging from his mouth.

"Well that didn't take long, but I thought you would have brought more than one."

|| I already ate the other seven. This one led me straight towards the family. ||

Hiccup had a shocked look on his face. "Well, apparently there will be no more of those on the island by the time we leave."

|| I don't mind ridding places of pests and infestations. ||

"It's obvious. Would you mind starting the fire again so I can cook my fish?"

Toothless fired a blue ball of plasma; instantly relighting the cooled embers. || I don't know why you insist on burning your food before you eat it. It completely destroys the flavor. ||

Hiccup took a fish and jabbed a stick into its side to roast it over the fire. "Well unlike you, _my_ body can't handle raw fish all the time without throwing it all back up."

|| You just need to train your stomach to handle it. ||

"I'll be ok. I'm perfectly content cooking my food before I eat it."

Toothless snorted and swallowed a fish whole. || Suit yourself. ||

The boy and the dragon ate slowly and relaxed until the sun was nearing its journey. Hiccup noticed the day was almost over and turned to the Night Fury.

"Where did the day go? It hasn't been that long has it?"

|| Well when you're busy sleeping in until the suns past noon, then there isn't much time to work with. ||

Hiccup eyed the dragon angrily. "It's not my fault a god called me to the heavens."

|| It's half your fault. You're the one who bonded with 'The Great Night Fury'. ||

Hiccup rolled his eyes and went to grab the saddle. "I want to go flying. Even if we just circle the island a few times. It will still feel good to feel the fresh air."

Toothless walked over to his human and stilled himself to make it easier for Hiccup to secure the saddle. || No complaints here. I've been waiting to stretch these wings all day. ||

Once Hiccup attached his safety lines to Toothless, they launched into the air. Spiraling away as they flew up, Hiccup shouted to the heavens. "Yeah baby!"

The two flew on until the sun finished cascading. They had circled the island and found a stretch of trees to fly through at terrifying speeds. Toothless barrel rolled through a stack of rocks that jutted out of the ocean while Hiccup screamed in joy. They flew several miles up only to freefall like they had on their first real flight. Toothless spread his wings at the last possible moment, forcing the water below him to rupture outwards.

They landed gently at their dark camp once again and Hiccup proceeded to unsaddle Toothless. "Now it feels like we accomplished _something_ today."

Hiccup put the saddle away so that it would be ready the next day. "I'm going to have to find a way to change that saddle and your fin black, so they don't stick out like a sore thumb."

|| So the lanky boy riding my back won't be a dead giveaway of my position? ||

Hiccup huffed at the dragons words. "Well, maybe I won't have to be. I can make up some new clothes and dye them all black. It will be a little hot in the summer, but at least we could stay secluded."

|| If we go on trying to convince humans to befriend dragons, I think we're going to need every bit of reclusiveness we can get. I don't think the humans are going to take to dragons very well. ||

"Well, hopefully they won't take too drastic of measures. The more people we get on our side the better though. We probably shouldn't go around stealing things and getting a bad name for ourselves."

|| We can cross that bridge when we come to it. We have many years ahead of us to change the minds of the humans. ||

Hiccup nodded his head and walked over to his basket. He rummaged through some of his belongings and pulled out an extra shirt to use as a pillow. He didn't think he should bother the dragon about sleeping on his side again.

Toothless watched as Hiccup flattened an area of grass across from the fire from him. || What the hell do you think you're doing? ||

"What did you say?"

Toothless snorted at the ignorant human.|| I said, 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' ||

"I'm making a bed. What's wrong with that!?"

|| What's wrong with sleeping on my side!? ||

"I thought it might have bothered you with me sleeping on you every night."

Toothless glared over at Hiccup for a moment. || You better get that scrawny ass of yours over here before I light it on fire! ||

"Ok, ok…. So much for me trying to think about others for a change."

Toothless huffed as his human lay down on his side. || You really think I'm going to risk letting you sleep out in the open? ||

"Look, I honestly thought that you would be uncomfortable with me sleeping on you. I'm sorry!"

Toothless chuckled slightly at the boy's tantrum. || I like to get my sleep just as much as you. Sleeping with one eye open to watch over you does not count. I feel much better with you at my side. ||

The two sat in silence and watched the fire die down. Hiccup laid his head on his friend's foreleg and listened to the massive heartbeat. "Toothless?"

|| Yes Hiccup? ||

"Do you really think we can do it?"

|| Do what? ||

"Convince everyone to stop the war. I'm just a little nervous about it. I finally got a friend who really cares about me, and I don't want to risk losing him. You're the first living creature that ever paid any attention to me, or even went out of their way to help me or make me feel comfortable."

|| I'm not going anywhere Hiccup. You will never need to worry about that. If someone tries to separate you from me; I will make sure that they are nothing but a puddle of blood, flesh, and bones. ||

"So you're saying that every time someone tries to hurt me, you're going to make a mess."

|| At least. ||

Hiccup closed his eyes and yawned. "I'm sure that will go over well."

Toothless noticed that his human had finally drifted off to sleep. He unfurled his wing and stretched it over the boy. After scanning the area once more he tucked his head under his wing to gaze over his boy.

|| I will never let anyone hurt you Hiccup. ||

###

* * *

AN: What did you think? I liked this chapter so much more than the first and hopefully so did you. If you loved it click that follow/favorite and do both.

Also please continue to review. I like to take others ideas into account. Just be nice please.

If you clicked the follow or favorite get ready. We are in for the long haul and its going to be filled with hope, joy, sadness, and many others.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3: Firsts for Everything

AN: Hey, I'm back again. Sorry about the delay. Been busy at work and had family come into town over the weekend.

Anyway here is Chapter 3.

* * *

Truth and Reconciliation

Firsts for Everything

* * *

Hiccup woke with ease. He opened his eyes to see nothing but black. 'Is it still dark out?' He put his hand out and immediately felt the smooth surface of a Night Fury's wing. Toothless slowly raised his wing and folded it to his side. || It's about time you woke up. ||

Hiccup yawned and raised his hands to rub his eyes. "How long have you been up?"

|| About an hour, just long enough to watch the sunrise. ||

"You didn't feel like walking around or getting water?"

|| I didn't mind laying here and watching you sleep. I figured you could use some uninterrupted rest. ||

"Wow, thanks. But I got to say, that was the best sleep I think I've ever had. You really do put out the perfect amount of heat out to make me sleep endlessly deep."

Toothless huffed and raised himself to stretch. || I think we need explore some of the surrounding islands. We don't know if and how many people may live near here. Maybe a smaller island with fewer people would be a good start to reconcile the humans. ||

"Ya, it would be nice to find some more clothes and supplies as well."

Toothless nodded and went to retrieve some of the left over fish from the night before. Hiccup started to organize his belongings and suite up for flying. Toothless finished off the last of the fish and waited next to the saddle. || Were going to need to be prepared to leave in a hurry if things head south. ||

Hiccup threw the saddle on top of Toothless and proceeded to strap it into place. "How are we going to approach the villagers? I don't think using your fire would be the best tactic."

Toothless rolled his eyes and lowered himself to allow Hiccup onto his back. || We may just have to wing it. It's our first time, other than your repulsive village, and it's most likely going to be eventful to say the least. ||

Once Hiccup clicked into place, Toothless sprang into the air. They flew in the opposite direction of Berk in hope of finding a more peaceful tribe. || Hiccup, before we get to the islands, I need to tell you something about the dragons. ||

"Go ahead."

|| It's not their fault they keep raiding your village. There is a dragon….one far worse than anyone can imagine, she controls them. She forces them with the threat of their lives to bring her food. She has been the sole purpose for raiding the villages. If they didn't have to provide food for her; they could easily find enough fish in the sea for themselves.||

"So none of the food you guys stole was for yourselves?"

|| Correct. This dragon has the power to take control of the lesser dragon's minds. I only went along to observe the surrounding areas. I blasted the watch towers, so that my fellow dragons could go unharmed. I did not want to risk their lives for the sake of the queen. ||

"Well, I can see how that changes things a bit. Are there any other dragons that can avoid the queens control besides you?"

|| There are not many. She has been gaining power over the years and can now control all except the Night Furies, Skrills, Timberjacks and the Thunderdrums. I haven't noticed if the Scaldrens or the Whispering Deaths fall under her command or not. ||

"She must really have immense power. Being able to control almost the entire dragon species is something that shouldn't be allowed."

|| I wouldn't say she plays by the rules. She simply sits in her volcano and waits for her food. If it doesn't come; the last dragons to enter become her meal. ||

The two continued in silence as they disgraced the queen's actions. They were in the air no more than a half an hour when a narrow island appeared on the horizon. Toothless noticed some smoke coming off of the island and lowered close to the sea. || There are humans living there, the smoke rising is most likely from one of the homes or a forge. ||

"We should take it slow; I don't want to scare anyone unnecessarily."

|| I'm sure they will be frightened no matter what we do. ||

"Ya I'm sure it will be there first time seeing a Night Fury as well."

They neared the coastline and noticed that it was just a small village. There were about a dozen homes perched on the edge of the cliff with a large building further inland. Hiccup clicked the tail accordingly to near the oversized building. "Well, this is it buddy. Let's see how cooperative this town is. I think that building is the town hall; there will most likely be more people surrounding it." The two soared close and lowered gently to a crowd of petrified faces.

###

* * *

###

There was silence at the arena. The congregation watched as the black mass of scales shrank until there was nothing left to see. Whispers started coming from the crowd. "Where did that dragon come from?" "Why did it protect Hiccup?" "How could the chief let this happen?"

Stoick starred at the ground in shame. After he failed to slay Hiccup and his dragon, he couldn't lift his eyes from the stone surface in front of him. After a few moments he could feel the Vikings surrounding the ring starring into him. He could hear the mumbles coming from them and questioning his authority. 'How could I let this happen? Where did I go wrong when raising him? Why would he choose to take sides with a Night Fury?'

Stoick raised his head and the crowd went silent from fear. He had a face or rage and anger written across his face. Astrid's words rang through his mind. 'It's because he's a fake! He has changed sides and now works 'with' the dragons. He even supports a Night Fury!' He thought to himself. 'How did she know he had changed sides?' He scanned the crowd then looked down at Astrid that was still standing at the edge of the Gronckle's cage. He looked back up at the audience. "I want everyone who knew of this Night fury to come down here right now!"

The four teens watching from the edge of the arena turned and slowly walked down to where the chief stood. Stoick eyed the teens as they focused on the ground before them. "Who wants to tell me how the five of you knew that Hiccup had betrayed us and was siding with the dragons?" The teens all stood silent fearing the consequences. Stoick grew impatient as he stood over the group. "HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?!"

Astrid stepped forward knowing full well that this was her fault. "We saw him in the forest this morning. I convinced everyone to go and look for him. We wanted to find out how he had been doing so well in dragon training."

Stoick had disgrace in his voice. "So why did you take it upon yourselves and 'not' tell anyone about this? Why would you try and take on a dragon that not one member of this village has even seen, let alone fought? Why did you think that risking everyone's life here; with a Night Fury was a good idea!?"

Astrid held her head in shame. "We didn't think about that sir."

"Exactly! You didn't 'think'."Stoick gestured to his head as he lectured the teens. "This is why you are in training. We are trying to teach you responsibility and respect for authority." Everyone stood silent as they took in Stoick's anger. "You will be held responsible for your actions. We will hold a meeting to discuss our new opposition as well as your punishment…. Now leave, I don't want to see any of your faces for the rest of the day."

The five delinquents left to head back to the village. Everyone in the crowd still eyed Stoick expecting an explanation. He starred up back up at them with a feeling he never had before. 'How could he have done this? Where did I go wrong as a father?' He sighed and regained his stoic stance. "I'm not sure why we now have a traitor from our village. I don't know what he sees in those dragons or if that dragon has taken control of his mind. Either way we will need to come up with a plan for if he returns. We will meet at the Great Hall at sundown to discuss the ramifications." The people of Berk wondered off going back to their duties, or went back to their homes. Gobber stood at the gate to the kill ring watching his friend.

Stoick observed the destruction that the Night Fury had on the kill ring's cage. The high strength metal was blown apart with little effort from the blast of the dragon. The metal was folded into the cage with bits and pieces fallen to the ground before him. He walked forward slightly and kneeled down to the ground to pick up a glistening black scale. "I'm going to kill you dragon. I'm going to rip out your heart for what you've done to my son. This is not the last we will meet."

Gobber stumbled forward to lend his friend a reassuring hand. "I'm sorry Stoick. No one could have seen what he was doing. I never thought for once that he was trying to help the dragons. I guess that explains why he was up so late in the forge every night."

Stoick had a confused look on his face. "What are you talking about Gobber?"

"Didn't you see the tail on that dragon? Half of its fin was missing. Hiccup must have made a new prosthetic so that it could regain its flight. It was pretty elaborate system, one like I have never seen. There were ropes and pulleys that led to Hiccups stirrup which look like they actuated the tail."

Stoick raised his head from looking at the scale. "So everything he said that night was true. He really did shoot down a Night Fury. He must have gone looking for it, but he failed in killing it."

Gobber shook his head with the sudden realization. "I guess so. He was really protective of that beast, and it was intensely protective of him."

###

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###

Astrid was fuming on the way back to her house. 'This is ridiculous. Hiccup goes off and betrays us for the enemy and now we get punished.' She kicked in the door to her home and marched inside. "I can't believe that worthless little lowlife could have gone against everything Vikings stand for." Astrid grabbed her axe so she could go and take out her anger on an unsuspecting tree. "If I ever see him again I will show him the power a 'real' Viking has."

She walked out the door of her house and proceeded toward the forest. Along the way, Snotlout and the twins caught sight of her and followed her to share their feelings of hostility.

Snotlout had enough of trying to help the village. "This is stupid. We try and prove that Hiccup is a traitor and now we get punished. Why do we even bother helping when all we get is criticism."

Tuffnut had a discouraged look. "What do you think they are going to do to us?"

The group was silent for a moment as they thought about their punishment. Snotlout finally spoke up. "They will probably make us clean the barns out or clean up after the animals."

Astrid didn't sound as hopeful. "I don't think so. I think they are going to make this punishment much more severe. Didn't you her the tone in Stoick's voice? I've never heard him talk like that with complete disappointment and resentment. He must have really been hit hard by that traitor."

Ruffnut was feeling hopeless towards their future. "I hope that they don't banish us from the island. I don't know how long I could last out there on my own."

Astrid tried to reassure her. "I don't think they will go that far. They have seen how we can fight dragons, and if anything; the courage we have to go and fight on our own. "

They walked in silent until they came upon a small cove deep in the forest. They descended the walls until they reached the bottom. The group got an eerie feeling as they walked into the depths of the cove. Ruffnut spoke up first. "Why does this area fell like it is like a sacred ground or something? Was there a major battle here? Are we at a cemetery?"

Astrid noticed an old campfire and a few scraps of food left around. "I know exactly what happened here…. This is where Hiccup trained that dragon… You see that campfire over there and the black scales scattered around here? This must be the place where he was going every day."

The group stayed silent as they searched the cove for anymore evidence of Hiccup. They came across a few pieces of broken rope and scratch marks trailing up the wall. Snotlout couldn't hold in his anger any longer. "Why are we getting the punishment for what Hiccup did with the enemy?! This is ridiculous. I swear if I ever find that boy I'm going to shred him into so many pieces that not even the animals would eat the scraps!"

Astrid was feeling equally upset with the misfit. "If he ever shows up on this island again," She lodged her axe deep into the side of a tree. " 'That' will be his head!"

###

* * *

###

"I said be quiet!" Stoick was enraged by council that had been arguing at the meeting. "We need to come up with a plan for if the traitor returns. We can't just expect him to stay away forever and when he does come back we can't just run out and try to kill him, that dragon of his is way too dangerous and is obviously protective of him. We need to be smart about this. Does anyone have any 'reasonable' ides?"

"How about we lure him to the kill ring where we can trap the two of them." There were a few members of the crowd that agreed to the anonymous suggestion.

Stoick shook his head in disagreement. "You know that won't work. First, he is too smart to just walk right into the ring. Second, you all saw how easily that Night Fury ripped through the cage. It didn't even struggle when blasting its way through the side. This dragon is very powerful; we don't even know what other capabilities it has. We are going to have to attack this from a different angle."

Spitelout joined in the discussion. "That sounds like a good idea. We could attack the two from above. If we can just get one arrow through that dragon's false tail; then it would almost for sure be downed. If we can get it to the ground we can use nets and bolas to keep it trapped."

Stoick pondered his brother's idea. "That may just work. We will need to have archers on standby at all times. They will stand by along with the current lookouts. If someone yells 'Night Fury'; we must assume that it is them and take action immediately. That will be the signal if anyone spots them. Are we clear?"

The audience agreed in unison. A few of the members started to leave until Spitelout raised his voice once again. "We still have other matters to discuss. What is to be done with the other teenagers? They cannot go unpunished for this. They should have reported what they knew to an authoritative figure as soon as they found out about the traitor."

Stoick nodded to his brother. "Spitelout is right; we cannot afford for these kinds of actions to be repeated. They need to understand why this is a serious matter and how traitors need to be dealt with. They need to learn from this; we don't want to completely discourage their motivation though."

Astrid's mother joined in on the subject. "We will need to suspend them from dragon training. They all seem to be completely focused on it and taking it away will show them how serious we are."

Stoick glanced over to the other parents that were all giving approving nods. "Then it shall be done. The remaining five teenagers will be pulled out of training and will apprentice with the older Vikings until they show that they are capable. The killing of the nightmare will be canceled until the next class is completed."

Everyone in the audience agreed and a few volunteered hiring on some of the teens for extra help. The crowd left the Great Hall and went on to continue their daily duties. Gobber hobbled over to Stoick who was looking down to the floor. "Do you really think he will come back Stoick?"

The red bearded man took a moment to respond and sighed. "I'm not sure. He was so sure of himself. How can he think that dragons are so 'different'? We've been fighting them for centuries; wouldn't he think we would have noticed if they were capable to consort with?"

Gobber admired the statues of past Vikings killing dragons. "I don't question what we do with the dragons.…but that doesn't mean we've never had a reason to."

###

* * *

###

The teens returned to the village and reported to their parents. They were all informed that their sessions with Gobber would now come to a stop and that they would all receive new daily 'activities' to help remind them of what they did wrong. They all met up later that night to find out what the other's new jobs would be. Everyone showed up with a rotten taste in their mouths. Snotlout was the first to share his new job. "I can't believe I'm going to be stuck feeding the caged dragons and cleaning up after those disgusting creatures. This is like poking someone with a sharp stick when they're down."

The rest of the group shared a slight chuckle. The twins announced their similar task. "We have to do the same thing, except with all the farm animals."

Astrid rolled her eyes as she couldn't think of a better job to suit the twins. "I have to help cook all the meals in the Great hall. There's nothing to throw my axe at in there." She glanced over to Fishlegs who seemed to have an abnormally happy face for the circumstances. "What are 'you' so happy about?"

Fishlegs quickly hid his grin and stammered. "Well…. Uhhh….I get to take over Hiccups job by helping Gobber! I've always wanted to learn how to be a blacksmith."

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "Well at least someone's happy with their 'punishment'."

The group sat in silence around the fire pit, and watched the stars above. After getting their fill of fish Ruffnut broke the silence. "I don't think Hiccups ever coming back. I mean… Why would he? All we ever did push him around and make fun of him. Not that I regret any of it. I just don't see a reason for him to come back to all of" She gestured to all of them. "This."

Snotlout huffed at the insinuation. "He was a dork. What did he expect; for all of us to just let him join the group? He deserved every bit of disrespect he got. He was just a good for nothing, useless little twerp."

Astrid stepped in. "Yep, and if he ever does show his face around here; he'll be dead like he already should be."

###

* * *

###

Hiccup raised his head from behind the Night Fury's back. There were about a dozen speechless Vikings staring right back at him. He took a moment to catch his breath and tried not to look 'too' scrawny. "Please, do not fear us. We come in peace and wish you no harm."

Toothless was rumbling slightly below him and scanning the crowd for any potentially dangerous threats. There was a pause of unnerving silence. The small mass of people was awestruck with fear and would not stop glancing back and forth between Hiccup and Toothless. A larger man from the group slowly stepped forward. "What do you mean 'we'?"

Hiccup looked down to Toothless then stepped off his back. Toothless growled slightly not wanting Hiccup any closer to the group of Vikings than necessary. Hiccup patted the Night Fury's side gently and turned to the large man. "My name is Hiccup and this" He gestured to the dragon. "is Toothless. My Night Fury."

There were gasps from the crowd at the mention of said Night Fury. The large man reached for the sword at his side; earning a relentless growl from Toothless. He quickly withdrew his hand; wanting to live to see another day. "What do you mean 'your' Night Fury'? Are you saying he is your 'pet' dragon?"

Hiccup chuckled slightly to himself. "No, no. He is my friend. I have seen that he is not a deathly creature like I once thought. He shows reason and love. He has a personality and individuality…..I am here to show you that dragons are not what we think they are. They are kind and docile creatures. All you have to do is treat them with respect, and not try to kill them."

The large man raised his voice. "Why should we listen to you? We have been fighting these dragons for years and have never once seen any of this 'reason' that you speak of."

Hiccup tried to make himself look taller. "That's because you have never looked for it. Why would I come all the way out here just to spread lies? Toothless has the power to take out all of you in one shot. What benefit do I have from lying?"

The man was not convinced. "How do we know you're not here to just steal supplies and food?"

Hiccup huffed at the seemingly inconvincible man. "I told you! We could have taken you out without shedding a drop of sweat. It's also much easier for us to get food from the wild, and Toothless prefers fresh fish anyway."

|| Damn right! That crap I had this morning was not up to par. ||

Hiccup scoffed and turned to Toothless. "Well no one said you had to eat it you picky reptile." He turned back to the crowd which was now staring with confusion.

The large man had to ask. "Did you just talk to it?"

Hiccup realized his mistake and stuttered slightly. H- He's not an 'it', and yes. I can talk to him."

The man eyed Hiccup warily. "Why can't we hear him?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and huffed. "That's not important. The point is that he is trustworthy and so are all the other dragons. You need to believe me. We can do so much more with dragons at our side. Please let me speak with the chief so I can prove their innocence."

The large man turned to the audience which by now had grown to about twenty or so. They all nodded to him in respect for his actions. He turned to face Hiccup once again. "You're speaking to the chief…. This is the island of Hidra, and I am Chief Vilhehn…. Why do you want us to reside with the dragons anyway?"

Hiccup showed his respect for the chief and sighed slightly. "This is the destiny of my dragon. His purpose in this world is to reconcile the humans and the dragons. In order to fulfill his destiny; he must end the war between us. This is our first time trying to reason with other humans. Please…..Just listen to what I am saying; you will see the truth behind my words. They truly are magnificent creatures."

Vilhehn turned to his people and addressed the crowd. "What do you think? He could have obviously killed us by now if that was what he was here to do. Should we allow him to show us that the dragons can be different, or shall we have him leave? I am leaving it up to you; I am willing to hear him out as long as no one is harmed. I don't think we would have anything to lose having another accomplice at our sides."

The crowd nodded in agreement and one of the members spoke up. "Have him prove the Night Fury is no harm."

Vilhehn Turned to face Hiccup. "As the man said, prove your dragon will not harm my village."

Hiccup thought about what he should do. "What do I need to do to prove it?"

The chief looked to Toothless. "Will he allow me on his back?"

|| No. ||

"No…. He will not. You may lay your hand on his snout though." Toothless narrowed his eyes at Hiccup. "Once you make the connection; I guarantee you will see what I'm talking about."

Vilhehn eyed Toothless warily. He glanced back and forth between the boy and the Night Fury. Hiccup nodded his head to Vilhehn. "Trust me….. Just raise your hand and allow Toothless to close the gap."

Slowly, Vilhehn raised his hand and put it forward. Toothless glanced to Hiccup who nodded back. Toothless narrowed his eyes and gently moved forward towards the chief. He closed his eyes and placed his snout into the hand of Vilhehn. The chief had a wave of relief wash over him. He could feel the dragon's heart and the emotion pouring out of it and into him. He couldn't believe the determination and loyalty the Night Fury contained. It felt like an eternity, but for the few seconds they were in contact; their hearts beat in unison and they could feel every emotion the other was feeling.

Toothless slowly pulled away and walked back to curl around Hiccup. Vilhehn was still awestruck by the connection he had just felt. "That was incredible…. It was like nothing I've ever felt before."

Hiccup snickered at the fascinated man. "It really is remarkable isn't it?"

The chief turned back to his people. "Yes….it is. I am completely convinced. That dragon just showed me the truth. He is a living, breathing creature just like you and I. I never thought I would say this,…. but I think we need to accept the dragons, they truly are not what we thought they were."

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AN: Well, there it is. I thought this chapter turned out ok. Not my favorite but it was essential to the storyline.

Also please continue to review. If you Loved it click that follow/favorite and do both.

Thanks for reading and participating in the 1000 views!


	4. Chapter 4: Dawn of a New Age

AN: Well, I worked at this pretty hard because I felt bad for taking so long on the last chapter. I've been listening to Two Steps from Hell quite a bit while writing this...not sure if that has an affect.

Anyway, I give you:

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Truth and Reconciliation

Dawn of a New Age

* * *

Hiccup was thrilled that the village had been willing to let him educate them about the dragons. Vilhehn's approval of the Night fury helped tremendously. Toothless was still wary of the Vikings though; he wouldn't let anyone else touch him or his human. Hiccup was slightly scowled by the dragon's persistence, but he figured Toothless was right, and they were better to be safe than sorry. Toothless already told him that he owed the dragon a long back rub for having to come into contact with Vilhehn.

The Night Fury's actions did present a problem though. Hiccup was having trouble convincing the humans that dragons were safe, but when he couldn't prove to anyone except the chief that even Toothless wasn't harmful; very few people had faith in him. He thought for a few moments how to solve his predicament. Then it hit him. "Do you guys have any dragons caged in an arena or training area?"

Vilhehn looked confused to Hiccup. "We have the Training facility with a Monstrous Nightmare, but all of the others have either died off or escaped."

Hiccup knew what he meant by 'died off'; his village had the same ceremonies where a villager would kill one of the weaker dragons. "Well that should work fine. Could we go to the facility and work with the Nightmare?"

Vilhehn stared at Hiccup slightly amused. "That's fine by me, but I wouldn't say the dragon is as _tame_ as your Night Fury here. Every time we let the creature out of its pen; it takes quite a few men to take him down."

Hiccup looked over to Toothless. "Would you be able to calm down the Nightmare? Well, at least enough to let me work with him."

Toothless looked at his human slightly offended in his unfaithfulness. || I can suppress the Nightmares anger. He will know to listen when he sees the Night Fury in the area telling him what to do. ||

Hiccup nodded and turned back to Vilhehn. "Great! Toothless will make the Nightmare listen and help me in training it…. Now, could you lead us to the arena? Also we will need a volunteer to work with the Nightmare. Do you have anyone that would be suitable?"

Vilhehn started to lead the group over to a small chain covered area off to the side of the village. "I think I know of just the right person for the job." He turned towards the crowd and motioned for another man to come forward. The man was slightly larger than Hiccup, but nowhere near the size of Vilhehn or Stoick. He had a clean shaven face and was about the age of twenty-five. "This is my son, Gunnar. He is a fierce warrior and a very intelligent young man. He should suit your needs."

Hiccup looked up at Gunnar. He was about six inches taller than him, but didn't seem to have the awful ego complex that Snotlout had. "So Gunnar, you want to learn how to work _with_ the Nightmare?"

Gunnar had a somewhat awestruck face. He was careful not to get too close to Hiccup or the Night Fury. "Well, I guess it can't hurt to try. We have been killing dragons for years, but if bonding with them means saving a few lives for our village; then I'm all for it."

Hiccup grinned at the man. They entered the arena and stood near the door that was heavily barricaded shut. The men behind them started to close the gate; Toothless growled viciously at them. "It's ok buddy. I'm sure you could blast through the chains just as easy as you did at Berk."

|| yes, but that takes time to do. Something that becomes very valuable when at war. ||

"I don't think we need to worry too much." Hiccup turned to Vilhehn and his son? "Right guys?"

Vilhehn nodded then turned to his men. "I want you all to discard of your weapons so that the dragons do not feel threatened. You may close the gate once the Night Fury agrees." He motioned for Hiccup to take command.

Once everyone had thrown away their swords and bows Toothless nodded in compliance to the gate keepers. The iron bars were lowered into place and a metal latch engaged. Hiccup turned to the Nightmare's door then looked to person manning the lever. "Open the cage." He braced himself against Toothless' side in preparation for the flaming reptile. "Ok bud, see what you can do."

The lever actuated the latch to unlock, and the doors burst open revealing a young Monstrous Nightmare with its whole body lit up in fire. It slowly walked out of its cage with its eyes never leaving the three men and the Night Fury.

|| Lower your flame young Nightmare. These humans mean you now harm. ||

|[ How can you be so sure? I've seen that larger one slay many of my kind! ]|

Toothless growled at the Nightmare. || Show respect for your elder! You _know_ not to go against the command of the Night Fury! ||

The Nightmare dropped its flames and lowered his head. |[ My apologies Night Fury. What is it that you ask of me? ]|

Toothless looked down at the Nightmare. || Your cooperation. You will attempt to bond with one of these humans. You are _not _to hurt them in any way. Do you understand me Nightmare? ||

The dark red dragon eyed Toothless then bowed his head. Hiccup looked over to the Night Fury with a shocked face. "You really do have a lot of power over other dragons don't you?" Toothless nodded to Hiccup then rest his gaze on the Nightmare. "Well, let's see if he's willing to bond." Hiccup slowly moved over towards the Nightmare. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to be friends." He raised his hand towards the dragon's nose and held it in the air. The Nightmare's eyes dilated and he glanced between the hand and Hiccup. He slowly closed the gap and placed his snout in the hand. Hiccup sighed in relief and smiled to the now purring dragon. He turned to the two men leaving his hand on the dragon. "Gunnar. Would you please come over here? You need to show him that you're not a threat."

Gunnar nodded and calmly started towards the red dragon. He held his hands open in plain view of the Nightmare. He lifted the side of his jacket to show he contained no weapons then reached his hand up to the dragon. "It's Ok dragon. I'm only here to ask of a new commencement. We no longer wish to harm you. We would like to make amends and form an alliance. Please, I ask of your understanding."

The Nightmare slowly removed his snout from Hiccup and looked over to Gunnar. He relaxed and placed his snout in the hand of Gunnar. The boy felt the connection immediately. The two stared into each other's eyes and grasped the emotion of the other. Gunnar lost his breath. He knew the dragon no longer felt hatred towards him; only love and acceptance. "Wow. This is amazing. I can feel his heart beat along with mine and his soul working together with my own. It's like he's opened his mind so that I can see inside, and he is able to look into mine. This is incredible…..Is this the sensation that you get with your Night Fury?"

Hiccup turned towards Toothless and took the dragons head in his hands. They peered into each other's eyes. "That's exactly how I feel."

The arena was silent for the moment. The audience stood and took in the sight that was before them. Vilhehn stood in awe at the two young before him with their dragons. "To think, we have gone for all these years killing these creatures; only to find out they are nothing what we thought them to be. This is truly the dawn of a new age, humans and dragons forming a union like never before…. We on the island of Hidra; will never kill a dragon for as long as we live."

Hiccup broke his gaze with Toothless to look at Vilhehn. "That sounds very well Vilhehn, very well indeed."

Gunnar turned to Hiccup. "So when can I ride him?"

Hiccup smiled and looked over to the Nightmare. "As soon as he lowers his head to allow you on his back."

The dragon looked back to Gunnar and lowered close to the ground motioning with his head for Gunnar to hop on. Hiccup chuckled slightly at the dragon. "Well I guess that answers that. Just make sure to hold on tight. Flying can be very intense and we don't want to start this tribe's new relationship with you falling to your death. I was very fortunate the first time I fell of Toothless mid-flight."

Gunnar gently climbed on the Nightmares long neck. "I'll try not to go too crazy."

Hiccup nodded to Gunnar and proceeded to climb aboard Toothless. The gate keepers unlocked the latch and opened the gate. Toothless darted out the opening and into the air slowly followed by Gunnar and the Nightmare. Hiccup and Toothless spiraled up at an incredible rate. Toothless capped his ascent and leveled off to wait for the other duo.

|| The two seem to work well with each other. That's the only way it works; both members of the bond have to give equal participation. ||

"I think your right bud. We really have started something great here."

Gunnar and the Nightmare reached to where Hiccup and Toothless were waiting. "This is awesome! You can see everything from up here. We could see if ships were coming miles away! This is incredible." Gunnar tried to take in all of his surroundings. He reached up into the clouds above him and felt the slight mist on his arm. "Wow! I never could have imagined what it would be like as a dragon. He really does have access to the world." The Nightmare looked up at his rider and Gunner understood what the dragon was trying to say. 'And now so do you.'

The small group flew high into the clouds; gasping at the sights before them. The sun was starting to lower to the horizon and the rays reflecting off of the water were giving a distinct red orange color. They flew for about an hour practicing aerial flips and twists; all while the dragons were firing blasts of fire into the distance. They circled the island and came in to land next to the town hall. Vilhehn and a few others gathered to see what the flying experience was like. Toothless lowered gently; his wings causing a quick breeze to the villagers. Gunnar and the Nightmare followed suit and landed beside them.

Vilhehn glanced between the two riders. "So, how was it?

Gunnar had an excited expression on his face. "Truly amazing. I never thought the village looked so beautiful until I saw it from the air."

Vilhehn nodded to Gunnar then turned to Hiccup who had just leapt off of Toothless. "So would you like to stay at our place? We have an extra bed and I'm sure we could fine a nice place for your Night Fury."

Hiccup looked over towards Toothless whom was eyeing him disapprovingly. "Haha, no I think we will be ok. We have a nice private island not too far from here, and Toothless doesn't want me out of his sight."

Vilhehn turned his head to the dragon. "Very protective I see. Well that's completely fine, but I do ask that you stay for some dinner; we have an astounding amount of food that should please you and Toothless very well. Plus, you're so skinny that a slight gust would blow you away."

Hiccup looked down at his noticeably pathetic looking body and grimaced. "Ya I guess we could get some food before we head back."

Vilhehn nodded and led them into the town hall. He was right; there was enough food to feed the small village three times over. There wasn't a large crowd eating like Hiccup expected. Just a few men and women eating their fair share in fish.

|| Yes. There is cod in the room; not for long.||

Toothless made his way over to were a barrel of raw fish was and threw his face into it. The villagers stared at the Night Fury as he devoured every bit of Icelandic cod and salmon. Vilhehn chuckled slightly watching the dragon eat a full drums worth of fish. "Do you ever feed that dragon? I have never seen _anything_ inhale that many fish that fast."

Hiccups face grew slightly red. " Well, he normally doesn't have quite the _selection. _We normally just make do with what we can find or hunt."

|| You need to learn how to fish like this tribe. || He said as his head was buried deep into the barrel of fish. || These people know that _fresh _fish in much more desirable. ||

Hiccup shook his head and turned to Vilhehn. "You know your spoiling him right? I'm never going to hear the end of how terrible of a fisherman I am."

Vilhehn stood with pride. "Our fisherman work very hard to provide us with plenty of food. I'm sure they could give you a few tips."

Hiccup nodded to the chief and found a plate of food for himself. Once the Night Fury was content with eating two full barrels of fish he walked over to Hiccup and curled around him. Hiccup leaned back against Toothless and enjoyed his meal. Gunnar walked over to where the two were and sat down near them; The Nightmare followed close behind. "So where did the name Toothless come from? I mean he very clearly has teeth."

Toothless opened his mouth revealing his perfect teeth. Then with a quick motion he retracted them fully. Gunnar leaned back surprised. "Oh…." Hiccup chuckled at the Night Fury's odd talent. "_That's_ where the name came from."

Gunnar was still wide eyed looking at Toothless. "So what is my Nightmares name?"

Hiccup looked questionably at said dragon. "I'm not sure; I guess you'll have to come up with that yourself."

Gunnar gained a confident looking face. "Hellfire. It will be perfect for him. When he gets angry; all hell breaks loose." He looked up at the dragon for confirmation. "What do you think bud? Will Hellfire work for you?" The Nightmare nodded approvingly; looking rather pleased with his title.

|| Toothless…. That's the best you could come up with? ||

Hiccup turned back to his dragon. "Hey! I like your name, and it reflects you and you only; considering there aren't any other Night Furies out there."

Toothless chuckled at his human. || Its ok. I like it too…..I just like giving you a hard time even more. ||He proceeded to give Hiccup a long lick up his face; covering him with wet slobber. Hiccup death stared Toothless; whom which had an accomplished smile on his face.

Gunnar was rolling on the floor laughing. "It's obvious who is in control of your relationship." Hellfire got a maniacal look on his face; he lowered his head to where Gunnar was now laying and gave him an equally slobbery lick to the face. "Hey! What was that for?"

Hiccup was now laughing hysterically. "He's just showing _you _that _he's_ in charge."

Gunnar just starred at Hiccup and sighed. "When will I be able to talk to the dragons?"

Hiccup looked down to the ground. "Well, most likely never. I had a little help in being able to talk to Toothless. I still can't hear any other dragons though."

Gunnar was disappointed. "So you can't hear Hellfire either?"

Hiccup looked up at the Nightmare. "Nope, the only dragon I can hear is Toothless. It's not like a normal conversation either; considering he doesn't use his mouth to speak. It's like I can hear the thoughts he _wants_ me to hear."

Gunnar looked up to Hellfire. "Well, maybe one day bud." He reached up and placed his hand on Hellfire's snout. The Nightmare gave a resounding purr and his eyes dilated. Hiccup raised himself up off the floor and walked over to the window. "It's starting to get pretty late." He turned to the dragon that had followed him. "What do you say we head back? It's still a long flight, and I don't want to be up _all_ night." Toothless nodded; he was ready to get back to the island that he _knew _was safe once again.

Hiccup tuned back to Gunnar and Hellfire. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. We're going to go back to our island now."

Gunnar looked up at the boy. "Ok Hiccup…..I just want to say thanks. You have changed this village from here forward. We really appreciate what you and your Night Fury have done here."

Hiccup nodded to Gunnar. "It's our job now. This is Toothless' destiny and I have to help him fulfill it." He proceeded out the door of the town hall followed by the midnight black dragon. Toothless lowered his head and allowed Hiccup onto his back. Hiccup waved goodbye to Gunnar and the few remaining villagers. Hiccup clicked the tail into the ascent position and they were instantly airborne.

They flew in silence each of them feeling accomplished. The flight back didn't take quite as long as the flight to Hidra. They flew at a gentle, but quick speed. As they neared their island Hiccup adjusted the tail so that they could land. Toothless circled the camp and landed next to the old campfire. Hiccup slid off the Night Fury's back and went to gather some more firewood for the night. Hiccup gathered some kindling while Toothless uprooted another tree and dragged it to the camp. Hiccup arranged the wood into a neat pile then nodded for Toothless to light it. The Night Fury shot a bright blue blast into the center of the pile of wood; the fire sprang to life immediately providing a warm heat for the two friends.

Hiccup adjusted some of the sticks then leaned back against the Night Fury.

|| What the Hell do you think you're doing? ||

Hiccup turned towards the dragon. "What? So now I'm not allowed to sleep here anymore? I thought this was where you _wanted _me to sleep."

|| Yes it is, but you owe me a long back rub remember. I suggest you get started. You said it yourself that you didn't want to be up _all_ night. ||

Hiccup scoffed and turned away to lay down against the Night Fury. "No. I want to go to sleep. I can give you a massage anytime."

Toothless raised himself up causing Hiccup to fall on the ground. || No. You're going to do it now. I have been waiting all day for this, and now you're going to please me with a great back rub. ||

Hiccup huffed and got up from the ground. "Fine, let's get this over with then."

Toothless lay back down next to his human and spread his wings so that Hiccup could give him a proper massage. Hiccup got to work on un-strapping the saddle and removing the pulley system. He cast them aside and began to work the tense muscles of the dragon. Toothless was purring exuberantly as he was enjoying the boy's fingers work at his scales. || That's the spot. You have no idea how hard it is to scratch yourself when your legs can't reach your back. ||

Hiccup chuckled from how much the dragon was enjoying this. "Well, don't expect this kind of treatment every night. I'm not going to have you get all spoiled." Hiccup continued rubbing the black hide on the dragons back until his muscles seemed to relax. He moved up to the Night Fury's shoulders and tried to relax his friend's front left foreleg. He paused for a moment as he noticed a deep scar running down the front of the Night Fury's leg. (1) "Toothless…How did you manage that scar?"

The dragons purring seized and he looked over at his leg. The scar was deep; running from past his elbow down to his claws. He sighed remembering the event vividly. || It happened in a battle. It was a terrible day. ||

Hiccup ran his hand down the wound; being able to fit his finger within the gap. "That's awful. What could have done such a thing?"

Toothless sighed once more at his persistent human. || Keep rubbing my back and I will tell you of my misfortune. ||

Hiccup went back to scratching his Night Fury's back and wing. "If it's too hard, you don't need to tell me."

|| No. You need to know. It played a major role in my life. ||He starred down at the scar seeing the images that played out that day with his guardian. || I told you that when a Night Fury dies a new one will take its place. || Hiccup nodded. || When the Night Fury before me died he made his companion promise to take care of me until I was matured. Even as a Night Fury we still are just hatchlings when we are born, so we still need to have some sort of parental guidance…That companion of his was a Skrill. She was beautiful, loving, strong and determined. All the characteristics a dragon looks for in a mate. She promised the other Night Fury she would raise me until I was grown. She was my _mother _as you would say. ||

Hiccup was listening intently to his friend. "So, then what happened to her?"

Toothless turned back to his scar; a constant reminder of what happened to her. || Like I said. There was a battle. I was practically fully grown a few winters after being born when it happened. We had just finished flying for the day and we were resting near a pond. A large Whispering Death approached us fully enraged. He went up to my guardian and started to roar at her. I stayed behind her as she didn't want me involved. He was talking to her; saying terrible things. He knew that the Night Fury always had a strong, life changing destiny and he thought I wasn't worth the risk in changing the world. He thought the dragons were fine the way they were and they should be left alone. ||

Hiccup paused for a moment. "What did he do?"

|| He was telling her to kill me. He said 'You know what that Night Fury is capable of. He is too dangerous to be left alive. You need to slay him, or I will take care of it myself.' She was filled with anger towards the dragon. She said that she would never let that happen. She knew that my purpose in this world was much more important. They started to lash out at each other. He was very powerful and taking my guardian down would be little hassle for him. I knew that she could not beat him alone. I had to step in and try to save her. The Whispering Death used his muscular tail to shred her to the side. She was bleeding profusely. I leapt onto him and used my claws to rip at his skin. He managed to throw me off; in doing so his spiked tail tor a deep gash into my leg. He gathered a blast of fire within his chest and took aim at the Skrill…..I saw nothing but rage take over me. I let out a blast of plasma straight into his throat. The combination of the two blasts blew him to pieces. ||

Hiccup shook his head astonished. "So like when you shot that Terrible Terror that day?"

|| Yes; only on a much larger scale. There was nothing left of him except ash. I limped over to my guardian fearing the worst. She looked up at me have lost too much blood. She said' You remembered what I taught you…..You will change this world Night Fury. You're just as strong-willed as the one before you.' She made me promise to fulfill my destiny whatever it may be. She taught me everything from flying to hunting to looking for a suitable mate. She was admirable in every way possible. Her last words were 'Trust in your heart; it will lead you down the right path. May the Gods be with you Night Fury.' ||

Toothless raised his head to look at Hiccup. || That is how I met you. The day I nearly killed you, the day you were watching me from that rock perch in the cove, and the day you placed your hand on my snout. I could feel it within my heart telling me to do everything I was supposed to do. ||

Hiccup shed a tear for his friend. "Your guardian died trying to protect you?"

|| She had to. She made a promise to that Night Fury before me. She couldn't break that promise; not even for her life…..I've made the same promise to myself. I will never let you die Hiccup. I will prevent every possibility of you dying that is within my power; even if that means taking my life to save yours. ||

Hiccup laid his head against the Night Fury dropping tears from his face. "I love you so much bud. You can't go and die for me though. If you died; I wouldn't know what to do. You gave my life a purpose, and losing you would make me fail at _my_ destiny."

|| I already told you. When you die; I will be right there along with you. When your heart stops beating, so will mine. ||

The two sat in silence with each other as they watched the fire fade. Hiccup rest his head against his friends foreleg. "I will always do my best to protect you bud; no matter what it takes."

Toothless unfurled his wing and stretched it over his magnificent human. || It's time for you to sleep my human. There is still much work to be done. We are only getting started. ||

Hiccup nodded then closed his eyes. Within minutes he drifted off to sleep with Toothless watching him protectively. The Night Fury glanced across the land for any potential threats. He tucked his head underneath his wing to watch his human. || I will not break my promise Hiccup….Never. ||

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(1) The scar on Toothless is real. If you can find a good quality picture of him that shows his front left leg; you will see the gash.

AN: What did you think? I like the bonding chapters more that focus on just Hiccup and Toothless.

Please keep reviewing and following and favoring! I love getting those emails from fan fiction! I look forward to hear all of your thoughts.

If you Loved it click that follow/favorite and do both.

Thanks for viewing!


	5. Chapter 5: Believe Me

AN: Hello again. I would like to say thank you to all my reviewers, the ones who have favored and the ones who have followed. You are the ones who keep me continuing this Fic. I really appreciate: johnnylee619, C.J. Young, loonaticslover13, Sky Fallen Darkness, LizzyLori, Laurenjr, Mystic, Cottonmouth25, Fire From Above, storygirl99210, and everyone else...You guys really know how to make someone love writing this.

Anyway, new chapter...

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Truth and Reconciliation

Believe Me

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Morning came quickly for Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup watched his friend; admiring his eminence. Toothless looked down at his human. || Starting to wish that _you _were a Night Fury? ||

Hiccup chuckled at his conceited dragon. "I don't think I would make as good of one as you… O Great Night Fury."

|| Now that would be a good name for one with _my _stature. ||

"I don't think you need anything else to fill your ego…."

|| I'm not egotistical….I just know that I am amongst the greatest wonders of this world. ||

Hiccup started to laugh and shook his head at his friend whom was grinning smugly. They rose from their temporary bed to start getting ready for the day.

They decided to stay around camp until after they ate; before they traveled back to Hidra. Hiccup caught a few fish for Toothless and himself while said Night Fury managed to track a few more rabbits. They ate in peace next to their campfire then cleaned up the site so they could leave.

Once in the air Hiccup and Toothless searched for anymore potential dragons for the tribe to bond with. They managed to convince a small group of Deadly Nadders, a Gronckle and another Nightmare along the way. Once they reached the island the town came out to greet them. Gunnar and Hellfire were in front ready to begin with the new dragons. Gunnar was waiting impatiently as the group landed. "I see you found some new recruits."

Hiccup chuckled at the anxious looking Viking. "Yes, it seems that they are keen on bonding with the humans. Have you talked to any of the villagers about working with the dragons?"

Gunnar turned to face the growing crowd behind him. "Actually; we have plenty…. All of these Vikings have volunteered to bond with dragons as they come available."

Hiccup was shocked to see so many people eager to have their own dragon. At least two-thirds of the village had come forward; only about twenty people though. "Wow!... Well, we only have six more dragons for today, but I'm sure that the word will spread amongst them and we will have all of you on dragons by the end of the week."

Gunnar gathered the Vikings that possessed the most authority of the group which consisted of his father, three others that were on the council, and two other villagers. The group of men, women, and dragons walked down to the arena to start the training; all while Hiccup giving instructions on how to approach a wild dragon. He emphasized heavily on how one needs to show that he or she is not a threat. "You need to completely unarm yourselves; otherwise the dragon will see you as the enemy, and…. You know what happens form there." He received a few cautious looks from his teachings.

The group entered the arena with the dragons, but Toothless insisted that leaving the gate open would help calm the other dragons. The few Vikings that bonded all did an excellent job with their new Dragons. Vilhehn was particularly happy with his Nightmare seeing as he and his son now rode the same breed of dragon. Only one of the Nadders fired a blast towards a Viking. It wasn't the fault of the dragon though; said clumsy Viking tripped on a stone while approaching the dragon; in which caused his fist to strike the dragon's nose. A few burns later and said Nadder insisting on a different human; everything was settled.

Once Hiccup and Toothless were satisfied; they led the group on a test flight through the afternoon which everyone seemed to be ecstatic about. The group was slightly sluggish, but the flying went better than Hiccup expected; no one fell off their dragons, and no one was burned. The group came in to land and was applauded at their entrance.

Hiccup was thrilled at the progress that the village was making. He was starting to think that his dragon's destiny would be easier to accomplish than he originally thought. The group was led into the town hall to have dinner. There was commotion everywhere while Hiccup watched the village interact. The dragons were elated by the humans finally bonding with them. The group of dragons and humans were all eating in harmony as they conversed.

|| This village has taken to the dragons well. Much better than I would have expected. ||

Hiccup finished his plate of food then turned to his friend. "I just hope that Village number two takes to dragons just as well."

|| We will just have to deal with that one step at a time. Once this tribe is confident in training dragons; we will need to move forward. There are a few islands directly west from here that we can head to at week's end. ||

Hiccup eyed the Night Fury questionably. "Do you really think that they will be ready that quickly?" He looked over to see a Nadder circling around her human just as Toothless was doing to him. He noticed just how protective the dragons seemed once they have bonded with a human. "Why do all the dragons become so attached to their humans?"

|| Dragons are possessive creatures. Once you give them something of value; there are very seldom to give it back. Once a dragon has bonded with a human; they are going to protect the person as if they were their hatchling…..Just like you are to me…. My little hatchling. ||

Hiccup stared up at his dragon un-amused. "You know; you don't really need to protect me _all _the time. I think I could take care of myself."

|| You would be killed within the first day if I weren't there to look after you. You seem to have a nasty habit of going and looking for trouble. ||

"I do not! Name one time that I have wondered off and gotten into trouble."

|| Well for starters; going off and looking for a certain Night Fury in the middle of the forest _alone_ that you had just shot down; would _not _be classified as _smart. _Also, trying to draw said fire breathing dragon from a small perch right after it just _let_ you live; would not be very intelligent either. And another thing… ||

"Alright, alright I get it….. You're super smart and I'm an ignorant little hatchling…..arrogant dragon."

Toothless brought his tail up and slapped Hiccup on the back of his head. || The sooner you get that through your head. We will be able to move on. ||

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the grinning Night Fury. "You might be a pain sometimes, but that damn cute face of yours always has make up for your faults."

|| I am not _cute _by any means…..I am the majestic, beautiful Night Fury. ||

"You're cute…." A black tail slapped him on the side of the head. "And irritating."

Toothless raised his fin to slap his human again, but Hiccup jumped at the last minute and tackled the dragon's tail. The villagers watched in confusion as Hiccup was scrambling around trying to escape the Night Fury's rage. It ended with Hiccup lying on the floor with a two-thousand pound Night Fury pinning him there.

|| You will never escape my wrath puny human. || Toothless raised himself slightly and roared deafeningly into the face of the boy.

The villagers were frightened by the act of the Night Fury until they noticed Hiccup laughing uncontrollably. Toothless started to lick him profusely. "Ahhh….stop…..it…..Please!" He shouted between licks. "TOOTHLESS! NOOOO!"

The village erupted into laughter after witnessing Hiccup get a face full of dragon slobber. Toothless slowed his licking and lied down across his human; keeping him pinned to floor in the process. || Since you get to sleep on me every night; I think it's about time I get a chance to sleep on you. ||

Gunnar and Hellfire walked over to where the two were horse playing. "You guys look like you have too much fun together…."

Hiccup groaned from the massive dragon laying on him. "How does _this_ look like _fun_?"

Gunnar chuckled at the struggling boy. "You really are just his little hatchling aren't you?"

Hiccup covered his face with his hands. "No. Don't tell him that! Now he's never going to let me live that down."

Gunnar chuckled slightly and stared at Hiccup."What do you mean?"

Hiccup sighed in frustration. "That's what he's been calling me ever since I started to talk to him. Now you just confirmed his way of thinking and he's never going to stop calling me _his hatchling_."

|| My _cute_ little hatchling…. ||

Hiccup shook his head in aggravation as he covered his blushing face. Gunnar looked over the peaceful looking Night Fury. "So, I never got a chance to ask you…..What happened to his tail?"

Hiccup glanced over to the brown leather mimicking the black fin. "Well to tell you the truth…I managed to shoot him down. He was participating in a raid on our village and I got a very lucky shot off…..He was tangled in my bola and plummeted to the forest. While he crashed the missing fin caught on a tree and ripped clean off." He looked up at Toothless again whom was putting off a low purr; most likely due to Hiccups scratching. "Once I bonded with him I knew I had to make it right. I was busy for a few weeks perfecting the new tail system, but it was all worth it in the end….If it wasn't for Toothless….the world would have never know what dragons are truly like….. He's the best friend I could ever have."

Gunnar nodded his head and eyed the glorious creature. "Even when he lays on you like this?"

Hiccup groaned and started to bang his fist against the immense Night Fury. "Let me up! I don't want to be trapped here any longer!"

Toothless huffed and slowly got to his feat stretching over the boy. || Fly time. ||

Hiccup shook his head back and forth and looked up at Gunnar. "I guess the over grown lizard wants to get back to camp. I guess we will see you back here tomorrow."

Gunnar nodded his head and smiled at the boy. "Sounds great Hiccup, We will be awake and waiting on you patiently. Thanks again for all that you are doing. You have given this village something incredible, and we will always be grateful."

Hiccup nodded and started to head for the door. Toothless started to follow while he slapped Hiccup on the head with his tail again. || Night Fury…..Not a lizard. || Hiccup scoffed at the dragon and proceeded out the door. Once outside of the town hall Hiccup boarded the Night Fury and clicked into position. They were off in an instant heading back towards their safe haven.

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Over the next week Hiccup brought many more dragons to the village of Hidra. He was successful in training every dragon and Viking to work together. Over half of the tribe had managed to bond with a dragon. There were Gronckles, Nadders, Nightmares, a few Timberjacks and plenty of Terrors; the last were content with just being common house pets. It was early in the morning as Hiccup looked over the village with satisfaction. He had taught Gunnar and a few other villagers how to work specifically with wild dragons. Each of them seemed to be able to calm any stray dragons if need be. He was confident that the chief and his son would be able to handle any issues that came up with the dragons.

|| So we leave at sunset? ||

Hiccup sighed as he was did not want to leave the pleasant village. "Yes, I will talk with Vilhehn and Gunnar to let them know that we plan to leave."

|| They will be fine on their own…..There are other places that need our foretelling more than here. I'm sure we will stop by here before we head back to Berk. ||

"Ya I know, but I'm going to miss them…..Other than you, they are the only ones to treat me with any respect or care. I feel like I've been on top of the world while we have been here."

|| I've noticed…..It's that happiest I've seen you since we met. I like it better when you're in high spirits. ||

"Why? Because you have been getting back rubs all week. Don't think that's a regular thing now."

|| I have my reasons….although I would consider that a perk. ||

The two came in to land near the town hall. Hiccup slid off the Night Fury's back and walked over to Vilhehn. "Did you all have a good night?"

Vilhehn smiled and turned from his Nightmare to the boy. "Yes we did Hiccup. You missed out on a Skrill's lightning show last night….It was the first time that kind of performance didn't send shivers of fear down my spine. Maybe you will get to see him tonight if he comes back."

Hiccup sighed and gazed up at the man. "Actually I need to talk to you about that….We plan on leaving at sunset tonight."

Vilhehn was surprised at the boy. "But why? You just got here it seems, and we still have other villagers to train."

Hiccup walked over to Vilhehn's nightmare and scratched under its chin. "You have all done an excellent job with these dragons. I'm sure that you will be just fine without me and Toothless. We have many other tribes that need our teachings and not very much time to do it in….. This world is pretty big and we are just two beings trying to change it."

Vilhehn nodded and patted Hiccup reassuringly on the back. "You have been doing a wonderful job Hiccup. I would be proud to call you my son…..You have a lot of courage to be able to face the world on your own. You will always be welcome here and we will care for you whenever you need it."

Hiccup grinned up at the man. "Thank you…..It means a lot….really."

Hiccup walked around the village with Toothless saying goodbye and giving final training tips to everyone they had met over the past week. Each of the villagers gave him a hug and their dragons each gave him a slobbery lick. Toothless decided to clean him up afterwards with his own tongue. Hiccups hair would never be the same.

They continued on until the afternoon was past and sunset was approaching. Hiccup made his way over to where Gunnar and Hellfire were. "So Toothless and I plan on leaving here shortly."

Gunnar eyed the ground looking slightly depressed. "So I've heard."

Hiccup started to rub his Night Fury's side as he approached. "You guys will do great without us. I look forward to coming back and seeing the progress that you will make."

Gunnar smiled as he was leaning on his Nightmare. "And I look forward to hearing your stories about the other tribes beyond here…..Promise that you will come back Hiccup. I don't want to hear from Trader Johann that you were killed trying to save some impractical tribe."

Hiccup nodded to Gunnar. "I promise…. We will come back here before we try to go back to Berk. This should give us a place to lie low if need be. "

Gunnar chuckled at the scrawny teenager. "You better not go and get yourself into trouble now. I'm sure most of the villages will be willing to adapt, but there are a few out there that are going to be impossible to convince."

Hiccup nodded then tuned to face toothless. "I know. I have him though; he can protect me more than anything."

Gunnar walked forward and started to scratch Toothless' chin. "I know, and I trust him…..I'm just not sure I trust you."

Hiccup looked back at Gunnar questionably. "We'll be ok. I promise…."

Gunnar sighed one last time. "Ok….were going to miss you Hiccup….You and your Night Fury. Don't forget about us."

Hiccup nodded then turned back to Toothless. || It's time to go Hiccup. || He slowly obliged and climbed onto the saddle. He took on last look at the village and turned to Gunnar. "We will see you within a few short months…. I'm sure of it."

Gunnar admired the boy aboard the Night Fury. "Good Luck Hiccup…." With that the dragon shot off the ground and high into the sky. Gunnar watched as the duo flew away. "Just be careful."

###

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###

They flew off directly to the west. They were off to their next challenge and hopefully the next successful village of Vikings and dragons. Hiccup sighed as he was going to miss the village of Hidra. He knew that with Gunnar and Hellfire running the village along with Vilhehn; they would be safe from any threats. Hiccup rubbed the Night Fury's side. "You think they will be ok without us?"

|| I'm sure they will be fine. Gunnar knows how to face a wild dragon and Hellfire will be able to convince them to bond. They should be perfectly fine without us. ||

Hiccup looked ahead into the sunset. He was looking forward to meeting the next village. "If the next one is anything like the last; we should be in pretty good shape"

The two soared until the sky matched the hide of the Night Fury. They flew for a few hours until an island came into view. Hiccup lowered down in the saddle across the back of the dragon. "Well, here it is. Island number two. Are you ready bud?"

|| Ready as I'll ever be….. This village is larger than the last; it's quiet though. Most of the village must be sleeping by now. We should be able to get a view from close up then spend the night in a nearby forest. ||

The two lowered down close to the water as they approached the Cliffside. They flew up and over the edge looking at the village intently. Hiccup gazed across the desolate village. "I think those are Loki trees….I remember Gobber saying how they only grow in one place….What island was that?"

They continued on until they reached what appeared to be a meeting hall or this village's version of the Great Hall. There was a snap that sounded. "What was that?" The next thing they knew a bola was wrapped tightly around them tying them together and forcing them to fall. Hiccup let out a scream as the ground came closer and closer. That was the last he saw until everything went black.

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###

Hiccup woke with a start. He was breathing heavily and his body was writhing in pain. He didn't open his eyes; he just lay on the cold damp stone trying to jog his memory on what happened. All he could remember was that they were flying low just above the island and he heard a snap.

He slowly opened his eyes trying to find out where he was and what happened to his friend. The blurriness started to fade, and he could barely see through the dim light. "Hello? Toothless? Are you there buddy?" There was no answer. All he could hear was the sound of water dripping and a slight gust of wind. He started to get up from off the floor only to be stopped by what had seemed to be shackles attached to his wrists. He took a closer look and realized there were chains leading to the floor which were also attached to his ankles.

His mind started to go into overdrive. 'What's happening? Where's Toothless? Why am I chained to the floor?' He started to pull at the chains desperately trying to free himself. "Help! Someone get me out of here!...Toothless!"

Footsteps started sounding towards the end of the hallway. Hiccups heart started racing. "Who are you? Please…. don't hurt us!"

"Hahahaha…."

Hiccup crept back as far as the chains would allow. Another light started coming closer as the footsteps grew louder. Hiccup could see the bars covering the open space in front of him now. He was in a prison cell. "Please, just let me and Toothless go! We mean you no harm. We will leave in peace!"

The maniacal voice returned only louder and clearer. "Hahah….Toothless. Is that what you call that bloodthirsty Night Fury?"

Hiccup was growing fearful of the man approaching. "Where is he? He won't hurt you! Please let me show you that he is peaceful."

The voice came back with pure hatred. "LIES! That menacing dragon of yours has already killed two of my finest men! You think I'm just going to let you and that devil go free? Why don't I just hand over our weapons supply while we're at it?"

Hiccup eyed the ground in front of him as the figure approached the cell. The man took his hammer and smashed it against the bars. "HEY! You look at me when I approach you!"

Hiccup slowly raised his head in shame to see his captor. His heart sank as got a short glimpse of the man. The tall, muscular figure stood at the edge of his cage with a devious look on his face. "Do you know where you are boy?" Hiccup shook his head as he stared at his chains. The man started to laugh again. "Haha….You always were true to your name weren't you…Hiccup?"

He raised his head immediately. "How do you know my name? A-And who are you?"

The Viking shook his head at the ignorant boy. "Hiccup….Hiccup….You really don't think that word about you betraying Berk would spread? I got the message just two days ago from your _former _father. His note read: 'Beware of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. He is now a traitor to the Viking ways and now resides with the dragons. He has a deadly Night Fury on his side and is very dangerous. …..Apparently….Anyone that sees him shall kill on sight.' …..Well, I guess I didn't completely abide by his warning."

Hiccup shuttered at the massage from his father…._Former _father. "Where am I?... Who are you? And where is Toothless?"

The man huffed at the persistent prisoner. "Haha….You really have no idea?...Well, I'll let you know. You're an outcast now boy, and you in the right place for it…Welcome to Outcast Island Hiccup…You are now under the leadership of yours truly…Alvin the Treacherous."

Hiccups heart sank as he looked up at Alvin. His father had told him stories about the deranged man. He will fight for just the sake of fighting. He has nothing to lose. He loves to watch a man suffer, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Hiccup closed his eyes as tears started to form. He knew that his hope was lost. No man had ever escaped from Outcast Island alive.

Alvin stared into the dark cell at Hiccup. "Haha…You going to cry now boy? I'll give you a hint. Crying gets you nowhere. And believe me; if you're sobbing now; just wait until you see what we do to your _precious_ Night Fury."

Hiccup looked up in horror. "Don't you dare hurt that dragon Alvin! I might not be able to do much from in here, but I guarantee that he is able to make your life a living hell."

Alvin shook his head at the arrogant boy. "Hahaha…..Bring the beast to the cell down here boys!"

A loud roar erupted from down the hallway. Hiccup lowered his head knowing exactly which dragon that was. The struggling dragon grew louder and louder while fighting against its chains. Alvin retuned his gaze back to Hiccup. "I have to admit. It took us quite a while to find a suitable shackle system for your Night Fury. I think you will be quite pleased with it though."

A large cart was rolled in front of the entrance of Hiccups cell. Once he caught sight of what was aboard he lost all control of his emotion. "Toothless!" The Night Fury stopped thrashing immediately and focused his attention on Hiccup. Toothless was bound to the cart in more ways than imaginable. Each of his legs had thick chains leading to the deck of the cart. His tail was tied down every few feet. His head was strapped tightly to the deck with a leather muzzle around his snout. As if it weren't enough; three more leather straps were ran over his body tightening his wings to his side then strapped down. The Night Fury looked like it would have been lucky to be able to move a few inches at best.

Alvin grinned then turned away from his prized dragon back to Hiccup. "Oh….You said _what_ exactly would happen if I hurt this dragon?" Hiccup lifted his head just as Alvin raised his hammer and slammed it into the side of Toothless. There was a resounding crack from one of the ribs that was struck; while Toothless let a loud yelp escape his mouth. "He doesn't seem to mind if I give him a little tap to the side, does he Hiccup?"

Toothless started growling viciously. Hiccup didn't answer; He buried his face into his hands as he let the tears flow loosely.

Alvin, satisfied that he had shown his authority over the two, turned to his men. "Push that malicious dragon in the cage across from the boys. I want them to be able to see each other as they starve."

The men complied and pushed Toothless into the opposing cell. They turned the dragon so the two could get a clear view of each other. Alvin turned back around to Hiccup. "If you want that dragon to live to see another day; then I suggest you follow every order we give you. You hear me Hiccup?" there was a pause while Hiccup didn't answer. "I SAID DO YOU HEAR ME HICCUP!?" He slammed his hammer against the bars leaving a large bend in the metal.

Hiccup kept his eyes on the ground. "Yes Alvin." His tone was of defeat and repentance.

Alvin stared at the boy for a moment longer. "Good…..Now I want you to think about how it's _your_ fault that your only friend is going to die." He turned and walked away with his men.

Hiccup sat in silence for the next few moments. He occasionally let out a muffled sob and reached up to wipe away a tear. He struggled to look at the caged Night Fury across from him. "I'm s-so sorry T-Toothless….."

Toothless snapped his eyes open at his human's voice. || You're not _actually_ blaming yourself for this are you? ||

Hiccup put his face into his palms. "B-But it _is _my fault, a-and now he's going to make _you_ pay the price."

|| No! Hiccup you need to listen to me! || Hiccup lifted his gaze to meet the dragons. || This is _not _your fault! It is just as much mine if not more. If I was paying more attention as we were flying in; none of this would have happened. You can't let him make you believe things like that….. That is what he _wants _you to think…..We will get out of here Hiccup! This is not how we die. We are going to destroy that disgrace of a man and fly far away from here….. I guarantee it Hiccup….. You _need_ to believe me. ||

Hiccup nodded his head and sobbed slightly. He eyed the Night Fury with understanding. "Ok Toothless…..I'm with you….. "

###

* * *

AN: There it is...Hiccup and Toothless are in trouble now. This was a little difficult to write I got to say. I hope you think it turned out ok. I had to rewrite this sequence quite a bit.

If your interested...still looking for a beta...

Please review and if you loved/liked it...hit that Favorite/follow button and do both...Don't forget to review!

Thanks for Viewing!


	6. Chapter 6: Vehemence

AN: Here it is...Chapter 6...

Sorry about the early update. There was a issue with the original posting, so I pulled it right away. I promise to leave it up this time, but the good news is:

We have a Beta! I would like to thank Gift of the Dragons. You have done an incredible job and I very much appreciate your effort towards this story. Awesome beta reader!

Disclaimer: This chapter is much darker than the ones before it. Not too much though, this is still rated T.

I give you:

* * *

Truth and Reconciliation

Vehemence

* * *

"Ok Toothless…. I'm with you…."

|| Good…. We are going to need all of your energy and your mind running at full potential in order to get out of here…||

Hiccup was frightened….He had no idea how they were going to get out of these cells and escape this dreadful island. "How are we getting out of here?"

|| I'm not sure….These damn straps are too tight for me to jerk on them, and I can't move my tail enough to loosen them…..Although I think I can manage to open my mouth just enough to shoot a small stream of plasma. I might be able to burn this leather strap around my snout enough to cause it to come off…..If I can get that off, then getting out of the rest of these straps should be simple enough. ||

"How long will it take you to burn the leather?"

|| I'm not sure….Probably hours; it could take all night. ||

Hiccup looked down, slightly discouraged. There was nothing more that he wanted right now than to just curl up under the Night Fury's wing like he had just done one night earlier. "Ok….We probably shouldn't make it too obvious what you are doing then…I'm sure the guards will be walking though and if they see your muzzle off; then I'm sure they could find a better way to keep one on you."

|| I won't let it slide off until we are ready to make a break for it. ||

The rest of the night wore on heavily. Guards passed by every hour or so, but no food or water was given to either of them. Hiccup cried himself to sleep as Toothless was busy flaming his muzzle. The two lost all sense on what time it was considering that there was no daylight and no sun to see. The little sleep that Hiccup got was rudely interrupted by the guard ripping at his chains. Hiccup did find it funny though that said guard was scared out of his mind from the viciously growling Night Fury. "Even when he is chained down with no possible escape…you're still scared of him." Hiccup chuckled and shook his head.

The guard turned to Hiccup slightly red in the face. "Uh…I'm not afraid….he just startled me…."

Hiccup eyed the man doubtfully. "From inside a cage…while tied down to a cart? I really don't think he is _that _much of a threat in his current position."

The man scoffed at Hiccup. "You should have seen what he did to the other men. I wouldn't be surprised if he could still kill every last one of us." The man walked away looking over his shoulder at the dragon that was showing murder in his eyes…..The guard walked faster….

Hiccup started laughing uncontrollably. "What did you do to those men out there….That guy looked like he just cheated with death."

Toothless sighed and eyed the cart below him. || I lost all control... Once the men took you, everything went red….. There is a stage of anger that dragons encompass. It is called... Vehemence. It is the act where a dragon will stop at nothing to cure the anger. The dragon's vision will turn blood red and their adrenaline will burst. I have only seen Vehemence occur a few times. It usually only happens when the dragon loses someone or something dear to them…It is pure unrestrained fury. ||

Hiccups jaw dropped…."So Vehemence happened to you?"

|| Yes…It was the second time in my life it has ever happened. I almost completely lost my self-control. I whipped my tail around, causing their guards to slam against the nearby houses. My roars filled the village with fear. I took one man's head in my mouth and burned it to a crisp with my plasma….I managed to destroy their catapults and burn through several nets, but there were just too many of them. The Vikings kept pouring in and eventually they managed to surround me. I had one last good slap of my tail, which broke many men's bones and another man's neck. After that they all jumped on top of me and shackled me down…. Little do they know that was just a taste of my rage. ||

Hiccup sat in shock of his friend's anger. "I never knew you could lose control like that."

|| It's not something that happens very often. Most dragons very rarely even see it…..Like I said, it was only my second time using it…..That is the benefit of being a Night Fury though. While every other dragon loses all control, I can choose to use the adrenaline in different ways. "

"What was the first time you used it?"

Toothless sat in silence remembering the recent occurrence perfectly. || It was with you. ||

"With me? I don't remember….."

|| When you freed me. ||

"Oh…."

Toothless sighed and took in a long breath. || When you were cutting those last few strands of rope off my body. My vision was darkening by the second. With the last rope cut; I leapt immediately pinning you to the rock….I looked into your eyes and saw your compassion…Your loving heart….Your perfect soul…..I couldn't kill you. I forced myself to leave and take out the anger elsewhere. ||

"So if it was any other dragon…."

|| You wouldn't be alive today…..||

The two sat in silence until Hiccup eventually fell asleep again. They were undisturbed for hours, allowing both Hiccup and Toothless some time to recover. Toothless never slept; as he wasn't going leave his human without a watchful eye, but he let his body rest. His body was recovering as it should without any straining or tensing.

Alvin came walking down the hallway and stared into Hiccup's cell.

|| Hiccup, we have a visitor….||

The boy yawned and opened his eyes at the sound of the dragon's voice. "Oh…hello Alvin. How can you ruin my life today?" he said with a sarcastic tone.

Alvin chuckled slightly and shook his head. "Hiccup…there are many ways I can ruin your life…we haven't even gotten started. How about I send a message to Stoick so that he can come and kill you himself?"

Hiccup lowered his head and remembered what his father had said in his note. He wouldn't waste one second in killing him. He sighed and gazed at his clenched fists. "What do you want Alvin?"

Alvin smiled at his prisoner. "I've come to make a proposal to you Hiccup…. Since you're so good with these dragons as you seem. I had the brilliant idea to have you train a few them for me… In return… I will spare your life."

Hiccup shook his head not approving. "Why would I do anything for you if you're just going to leave me a prisoner and kill Toothless?"

Alvin grew frustrated at the boy. "How about I just kill the Night Fury now. Unless of course, you agree to train my dragons." Toothless started growling ferociously at Alvin whom turned to him with anger. "You better shut that dragon up before he gets _himself_ killed…"

Hiccup glanced over to Toothless which was still producing a deep growl. "Toothless, please….I don't want him killing you over this."

|| The minute he steps in here, _he_ will be the one to lose everything he once felt dear. ||He lowered his growl to just a low rumble.

Hiccup nodded to the Night Fury. "Thank you Toothless…."

Alvin turned back to Hiccup. "So…are you going to train my dragons Hiccup?"

The boy sighed and looked to the ground. "I can't do it without Toothless….He talks to the other dragons and calms them. He has to be there, or your dragons will do nothing but retaliate."

Alvin focused on the boy. "So how did you manage to train the Night Fury then?"

Hiccup gestured to Toothless. "Because _he_ was in the wild. He had a choice to stay or leave. He is also smarter than any other dragon out there….Being a Night Fury, he can sense the emotion that pours out of you, whether its compassion or fear." Toothless snorted at the word 'fear'.

Alvin contemplated letting the dragon out of his cell. "I'll allow the Night Fury within the arena, but his binds will never leave his body."

Hiccup nodded and eyed his shackles again. "If you hurt him Alvin….You will finally understand the wrath he contains."

Alvin scoffed and walked away smugly. "I'm not too worried about that Hiccup…."

Once Alvin left the hallway; Hiccup looked over to Toothless and smiled deviously. "Something tells me that you have that leather muzzle just how you want it."

|| Once we are in that arena….The Night Fury will once again; live up to its name. ||

Hiccup sat in silence as he thought of ways to escape. "Do you have a plan?"

|| As long as we can both get to the arena together….We will be able to escape. My plasma will easily eat through the shackles at my feet. The leather straps should come off with a blast of fire. ||

Hiccup sighed and looked over to his bound friend. "I really hope you're right bud…..You don't appear to be much of a threat right now."

|| Just watch the guard as he passes by….; Then tell me I'm not a threat. ||

The two were undisturbed for the next few hours until a guard came in to do his rounds. It was a different one than last time. This man had a strong mentality and a fierce stature that many Vikings would long for. He sauntered down the hallway using his night stick to rattle the bars of the empty cells as he passed by. He came to Hiccups cell and scoffed at the boy then turned to the Night Fury. The man walked forward then stopped in front of the cage. "He doesn't seem so aggressive and volatile to me. The other guards were just playing me…."

Toothless snapped his eyes open to thin black slits that portrayed deep resentment and aggression. He growled violently, baring his serrated teeth conspicuously. He whipped the two tail fins rapidly, showing his displeasure of the guard before him. The man froze in his tracks with his eyes glued to the vicious looking reptile. Toothless started to snarl and push against the cart with extreme pressure. The cart creaked and groaned from the force of the Night Fury.

The man stepped back slightly. "Tell him to stop! W-We won't allow this to continue!"

Hiccup leaned back in his shackles. "I wouldn't be able to stop him anyway. He is running on pure hatred and adrenaline…..If I were you, I would leave before he destroys those shackles."

The cart Toothless was on started to crack and moan desperately trying to hold itself together. The man removed his gaze from the dragons and vigorously scurried down the hallway away from the snarling reptile.

Hiccup looked back from the guard that left to Toothless, and smiled comically. "Ok….I see how you plan on doing this….I have to admit, even _I_ was a little scared there for a minute."

Toothless arrogantly lifted his head as much, as the leather binds would allow. || Impressed? ||

Hiccup shook his head chuckling slightly. "You never cease to amaze me Toothless." He looked back down at his chains then to Toothless and sighed. "I just wish that I could curl up under your wing right now, and be right there with you."

|| We will be out of here soon enough Hiccup. You will be under my protection once again. ||

###

* * *

###

The past week went by slower than waiting for Snoggletog. Ever since Hiccup left, the village of Berk hadn't acted the same. Astrid was still furious with the boy. Everywhere she looked she was reminded of him. The arena had been vacant since he left. The gaping hole that the Night Fury left still remained. Gobber and Stoick had been acting different ever since. She was stuck in the Great hall make the dinner for all of the villagers. "Why do _I _have to be the one who makes the food?"

The woman that Astrid was assigned to work with eyed her angrily. "You're lucky that Stoick didn't banish you and your friends from the island for keeping secrets."

Astrid looked down at the failed attempt at bread she was working on. She sighed in defeat and clenched her fists. "This was all Hiccup's fault…We shouldn't be the ones who are receiving the punishment."

The large woman towered over Astrid, looking unpleased. "You know very well what Stoick would do to that boy if he had the chance….But this isn't about him. This is about you and your friends not doing as you are supposed to. Mainly; telling a higher up when a problem you are not capable of dealing with presents itself…..Now leave. You have caused enough headaches for me to deal with today and I still have to finish preparing tonight's meal."

Astrid looked down in shame. "Yes ma'am….Sorry about your bread."

The woman huffed at the young Viking. "I'm sure you will learn from this. You are a strong Viking and this village will need you in the future…..Now go….Get some sleep tonight and be here bright and early at dawn."

Astrid turned and walked out the door. She preceded to the watch tower that the teens had been hanging out at each night. As usual, she was the first to arrive, so she sat and watched the village. She looked over to the arena, specifically at the hole that was still present. "How is anything able to destroy metal like that?" She thought back to that dreadful day. She heard that familiar sound of a Night Fury coming to attack. 'It came quicker than anyone expected. We didn't even have the chance to get into cover. The explosion was immense; like nothing I'd ever seen.' It was aimed perfectly at the joints in the metal to maximize the destruction. The smoke that came from the blast was noxious. All she remembered seeing as the smoke cleared; was the sadistic Night Fury hovering just over Hiccup, with the massive black wings spread out over him. "That dragon was really attached to him."

"What dragon, and to who?" Fishlegs head appeared as he was walking up the stairs.

Astrid sighed as the boy sat down across from her. "Oh….Hey Fish... I was just thinking about that Night Fury and Hiccup."

Fishlegs got an excited look on his face. "Wasn't it incredible? I've never seen a dragon with so much ferociousness and vengeance. The dragon had so much inner power. The impact it made on the arena would have been impossible for any other dragon. The Night Fury's blast must be charged with some sort of plasma or something."

Astrid chuckled at the large teenager for being so fascinated by the Night Fury. "You really do need to stop obsessing about dragons you know."

Fishlegs calmed but didn't remove his grin. "Well, it's always been interesting to me and now that we know that they are intelligent creatures…"

Astrid grew frustrated. "They are _not_ intelligent creatures…. They are the mindless beasts that we always thought they were. The only reason that the Night Fury was protective of Hiccup is because he was feeding it and letting it fly."

Fishlegs shook his head disagreeing. "But what about when he stopped it from killing you that day….It showed reason and restraint."

She remembered that day quite vividly. The moment the Night Fury leapt over the edge of the rock. It looked into her eyes and saw who she was. She could feel it searching her soul and judging her wellbeing. She looked into the eyes of the beast with complete fear. That had been the first time she was actually afraid of something since she lost her father. It was like the dragon knew exactly what she had said about Hiccup, and it took action against her…..On its own will. She shook her head from her memories. "I don't know why it didn't kill me, but there is no way the dragon could be as intelligent as us. We have been fighting them for centuries. Don't you think someone would have tried to reason with them?"

Fishlegs lifted his shoulders bewildered. "It's like Gobber told me a few days ago. 'We never had a reason to try and train a dragon. All we ever saw in them was the enemy, and we have never looked back.'…..Maybe it's time someone tries something new….Maybe that's what Hiccup was doing."

Astrid looked down into the fire between them. "I don't know, but I'm sure we will find out soon enough…..Stoick sent out messages to all the nearby villages warning them about Hiccup and telling them to kill him on sight."

Fishlegs sighed and looked down as well. "Yeah, Gobber told me…. He isn't too happy with Stoick right now….He said we need to at least find out what Hiccup is on to with the dragons. "

Astrid looked back up to Fishlegs. "So how is it?...Working with Gobber. I mean"

Fishlegs piped back up. "It's been awesome! I've been making all sorts of weapons and shields. I even found all the stuff the belonged to Hiccup."

Astrid had a questionable face. "Like what?"

Fishlegs reached his hand to the back of his neck. "Well, I found all of his drawings….There were a ton of them of you. I think he used to really like you and he probably had a crush on you."

"Who has a crush on who?"

The two turned to see Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout trudging up the stairs. Astrid covered her nose from the vile scent coming off of them. "What is that smell?"

Ruffnut looked down in shame. "That would be us….Those stupid animals leave behind more crap than they eat!"

Fishlegs turned to see Snotlout whom had burn marks running down his body. "What happened to you?"

Snotlout huffed and sat down next to Fishlegs. "Apparently…..Dragons have a thing against eels. Note to self: never try and feed a dragon an eel ever again. Stupid dragon…."

Ruffnut turned back to Fishlegs. "So who has a crush?...Give me the details."

Fishlegs stuttered slightly. "Haha…Well, apparently Hiccup did, and it was on Astrid."

Ruffnut looked disappointed. "Well who didn't know that?...Everyone knew that boy always got wide-eyed when he got near her."

Astrid narrowed her eyes at Ruffnut. "Everyone except me! I didn't know that freak idolized me."

The group shared a laugh as Astrid looked back to Fishlegs. "So what else did you find in his workshop Fishlegs?"

The boy looked around at the others that wanted to be clued in. "Hiccup's old workshop had lots of drawings and journals." The other teens nodded in understanding. "He had lots of drawings of that Night Fury. He had 'Toothless' written on all of them. I guess that was his name."

Snotlout objected. "Uhhh…I don't think so. I definitely saw teeth on that vicious dragon."

Fishlegs held up one of Hiccups drawings he brought along. "Not in this one." The picture was a perfect illustration of the Night Fury giving his infamous 'Toothless' smile. It showed the detail in excellence on the dragons gum line and the playful look in the Night Fury's dilated eyes. "He has a ton of pictures like this…All of them portraying wonderful detail…..He also had all kinds of designs for weapons and the complete design for the fake tail on the Night Fury. It's really incredible. He must have spent a lot of time working on it during those last few weeks."

The group grew silent as their gazes were drawn to the fire. They all thought back to those few short weeks where Hiccup would run off into the forest and not come back until dark.

###

* * *

###

The two sat in patience waiting for Alvin to come back for them. A few more hours and another guard brought some food and water for the two. This one was also driven away by fear. Eventually Alvin's voice came barreling down the hallway along with a few others. He came to Hiccup's cell and eyed him irritably. "Bring the boy, but leave the dragon….I don't think he is telling me the truth about him needing the Night Fury there."

Hiccup scrambled backward as the guards unlocked the cell. "No….I can't do it without him. Please…." One guard grabbed him while the other unlocked the shackles.

Alvin shook his head disapproving of Hiccup. "That's nonsense boy. If you can train the most reclusive dragon alone, then I'm sure you will be fine with a modest Nadder."

The guards dragged Hiccup down the hallway away from the deathly growl from Toothless. || Just do exactly as I told you Hiccup. ||

The small group left the prison block then moved into the arena. It was a large cavern that had one small opening that let in natural lighting. It had a metal caging covering the hole to prevent dragons from escaping. There were two doors connected to the arena: one smaller entrance that allowed humans to pass through, and a larger door intended for dragons. Hiccup shielded his eyes from the light coming through the hole. He looked up to see Alvin high up on a rock perch to allow a greater vista for his viewing pleasure.

Alvin smiled down at the boy the addressed the guards. "Bring in the Nadder. I'm ready to see what this boy is capable of."

The guards readied their weapons as another opened the large gate to reveal a purple Nadder with blue spots. The dragon was flailing wildly as it was pushed into the arena. It was clearly irritated and was not interested in bonding with any of the humans. She cast a blaze of fire towards the Vikings who all scattered appropriately.

Hiccup jumped to the side of the Nadder who aimed its tail directly at him. He thought to himself. 'Ok….Don't try and train it. Just appear to attempt training.' He raised his hand slowly and shakily. "Please don't hurt me Nadder."

|[ Why does this human smell of Night Fury? Could he have captured it? Has he killed the great Night Fury? ]|

Hiccup sighed and shot his other hand forward deliberately. The quick movement caused the Nadder to take defensive action by using her tail to slam Hiccup against the wall. He looked up groggily at the Nadder being recaptured and felt the world spinning. He fell to the floor and blacked out.

###

* * *

###

Toothless waited patiently for Hiccup to come back with the guards. He laid there listening intently, only hearing the soft beat of his own heart. He waited for a few hours until the door at the end of the tunnel opened to a few guards. They were dragging Hiccup's motionless body down the hallway and stopped in front of the two cells.

Toothless opened his eyes immediately, noticing Hiccup's lack of movement. He looked up to the guards and let out a vicious roar, only muffled by his own mouth not opening fully. He growled fiercely at the two men holding Hiccup, striking terror into their veins. The men paused at the enraged dragon. One of them cautiously made a move to open Hiccup's cell only to be stopped by Toothless deathly snarling at him.

Toothless delegated the men to place Hiccup in _his_ cell next to him. The men looked to each other confused. "I think he wants the boy to be in the cell with him." Toothless narrowed his eyes at them and reduced his growling to a low rumble. "I don't think we should do that…What if Alvin disapproves of it?" Toothless began to increase the volume of his deep growls. The other guard spoke up. "Would you rather be under Alvin's wrath or suffer the Night Fury's?" The man looked from the menacing dragon to his colleague. "Good call."

They proceeded to open the Night Fury's cell and place Hiccup gently next to Toothless. They quickly left the cage and locked the latch. Toothless relaxed his body and produced a low purr. He then gestured for the guards to leave the area; both of whom acted accordingly, relieved to retreat without injury.

Toothless laid his head down and purred lowly as he eyed the still form of his human. He listened intently to young beating heart that sounded within the boy's chest. || You are safe now, my human. ||

###

* * *

###

Savage was not a man of courage. He had just been informed that the guards were no longer willing to take the position of overseeing Hiccup and the Night Fury. Now he was to report the news to Alvin. This was not something he was thrilled with. Alvin had a nasty habit of throwing men off the side of the cliff when they brought him bad news. "Oh Thor….Please let Alvin have mercy." He walked up to the large door to which behind sat Alvin. "Here we go…."

The door crept open and Savages voice sounded more nervous than ever. "Ummm…..Alvin?"

The chief of the village rose from his chair and walked over towards the window. "What is it Savage? You better not have bad news for me."

Savage finished opening the door and allowed himself inside. "Nope…None at all…..Just was going to see if you would like to appoint a new guard to watch over the prisoners. It seems that the last two have fled the island…..I know how much you love…"

Alvin sighed and turned to face Savage. "That is the fifth one already! What are we a bunch of little girls? The last time I checked this was Outcast Island, the home of the most feared and wretched Vikings out there. Is that right?"

Savage was backing away slowly. "You are correct sir, and might I mention you are the most feared of them all."

Alvin walked towards the door. "There is no need to be a kiss-ass Savage…Now come on. We are going to pay these prisoners a visit."They left Outcast Hall and continued down to the prison block where Hiccup and Toothless were being held.

Hiccup had just awoken not too long before. "Uhhh…What happened?" He lifted his hands and placed them on his throbbing head. He leaned back and felt the familiar heat that radiated off of Toothless. He quickly opened his eyes seeing that he was leaning against the Night Fury. "Toothless!" He threw his arms around the dragon and held him tight. "How did this happen? There's no shackles, no chains; why am I in your cell?"

|| I may have convinced the guards who brought you back to put you in here instead. ||

"Not violently though, right?" He asked sarcastically.

Toothless leaned into Hiccup, elated to finally be in contact with his human. || At least you're safe with me now. ||

Hiccup looked over the Night Fury's body and sighed. "Here let me take some of these straps off. I'm sure your wings are aching from being cramped up." He untied the straps and threw them over the dragon's body. "I won't be able to take the shackles off of your feet without proper tools, but at least you can…. Whoa!"

Toothless stretched his wing and used it to pull Hiccup tight against his side. || You will never leave me again Hiccup. ||

The boy was chuckling behind the Night Fury's wing. "You know I would never leave you bud."

Unfortunately, their reunion was cut short as footsteps were coming down the hallway. || Quick replace the straps! ||

Hiccup scrambled around the dragon fitting the straps over his body once again. Just as he finished, Alvin and Savage rounded the bend. "Ahh…What do we have here?...Those good for nothing guards don't even know which cell the boy goes in." He started to reach for the cell door, but he was interrupted by Toothless snarling fiercely. Alvin eyed the dragon with confidence. "So you think he should stay with you then?"

Hiccup got up from Toothless. "I'm not going anywhere Alvin."

Alvin was growing frustrated with the boy. "What makes you think you have a choice?"

Toothless produced a deep ferocious growl aimed at Alvin. Hiccup glanced to the dragon then back the chief. "Because of him.…" he replied mockingly.

Alvin raised his fists in anger and gathered strength to smash the cell. He was cut off by Toothless giving a roll of the claw on the wooden cart. (1) He continued to roll his claws every few seconds after. Alvin was distracted by the repetitive motion of the dragon. "What is he doing? Why does he keep doing that thing with his claws?"

Toothless had a distant gaze as he continued the motion…Roll of the claw…|| Burn his limbs. || Roll of the claw…|| Shred his limbs. || Roll of the claw…. || Burn his limbs….|| Roll of the claw….

Hiccup turned from the contemplating Night Fury to Alvin. "I think he is debating with himself how he should kill you…." Roll of the claw…."If I were you…I would probably leave…." Roll of the claw….

Alvin looked into the distant eyes of the Night Fury….. He could practically see himself being shredded to pieces by the sadistic beast. He paused as he took in what the dragon was feeling for him. The hatred, the revulsion, the vehemence…..He blinked away his gaze and tuned to walk away stuttering slightly. "I-I h-have to go t-take care of something." Savage left just as quickly. "Right behind you sir."

Once the two were out of earshot; Hiccup started laughing hysterically along with Toothless. "Oh…gods help me…..I thought he was going to pass out with the way he looked at you." He proceeded to undo the straps on Toothless once again.

|| I think I am going with shredding. He seemed to be keen on that idea….It also adds to the pain. Burning is too quick and easy. ||

Hiccup managed to get all the straps loose and untied the leather around his snout. Once the leather was loose Toothless wasted no time in giving Hiccup a long lick on the side of his face. Hiccup rolled his eyes and whipped away the slobber. "You know….For once; I didn't mind it….It was totally worth it."

|| Good….Because there is a lot more where that came from. || He continued to cover the rest of Hiccups face with Night Fury saliva.

Hiccup chuckled as his friend thoroughly cleaned his face. "I love you bud…." He wrapped his arms around the Night Fury's neck and held tightly as tears of joy started to form. Toothless laid his head across the boys back and pulled him close. || I know Hiccup….I know…. ||

###

* * *

###

Alvin lay in his bed that night not getting a bit of sleep. All he could think about was that dragon. He visualized the motion of its claws coming down to the surface of the deck in sequence. With each beat of every individual claw, he felt the Night Fury tearing at his soul. Each beat came soundlessly and in slow motion ripping him to pieces. He lay with his eyes fully dilated as if he had just seen a ghost. He didn't see the ceiling above him, however. All he could see was that….. Roll of the claw…..Roll of the claw…Roll of the claw….

###

* * *

(1) When a person is rolling there finger tips on a table. Waiting Impatiently, or in this case...debating with oneself. Thought it might add effect...

AN: Well...Was it darker than you expected? Toothless has some anger issues...But what dragon wouldn't when you just took away his human?

Anyways... Please remember to Review, Favorite, Follow! I want to know what _you _think.

Thanks for viewing!...OVER 5000 VIEWS!


	7. Chapter 7: Vulgar Reunion

AN: I guess its better late than never. Sorry, but we were busy over the 4th and I didn't get many chances to work on this.

Hope it is worth the wait. If it counts for anything...This is the longest chapter yet! Beating out Break away and Vehemence by about 100 words.

I give you...

* * *

Truth and Reconciliation

Vulgar Reunion

* * *

_To whom it may concern,_

_We are proud to announce that the deadly traitors of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third and his menacing Night Fury have been captured. We have them in custody within our prison block and the two are being closely guarded by the dependable security on Outcast Island. The Night Fury is heavily shackled and poses no threat to anyone within range. The boy is also in chains, but he is located within a different cell._

_We are relaying this message to Stoick the Vast, so that he can make an example of this boy and his menacing Night Fury. We have decided to keep the two under watchful eye until Stoick either comes himself or sends a worthy individual to come and take possession of the two._

_We of Outcast Island expect that the boy and his Night Fury will be dealt with properly. The boy shall either live the life of a slave or be massacred by the dragons during the next raid. We expect the Night Fury to be shown on display during a raid, being slaughtered for all of the dragon species to see._

_While we have managed to contain the wrath of the Night Fury within a prison cell, the dragon will be difficult to transport. This beast has killed two of Outcast Island's finest warriors and is extremely dangerous. A suitable harness will need to be brought with to hold the Night Fury in place. Do not underestimate this dragon!_

_We require a response to this message within one week; otherwise we shall take action against Hiccup and the Night Fury. If the people of Berk choose to not respond, they will surely not be disappointed by the methods used in killing the traitors. _

_Stoick, you have one week to decide on what to do with your son. You are expected to make it count._

_The village of Outcast Island and their worthy leader, Alvin the Treacherous._

Stoick raised his head from the unsettling letter. He stared down the middle of the table as the rest of Berks high council looked to him for an answer. He shook his head as he thought about the note at the end meant specifically for him. 'You have one week to decide on what to do with _your _son'. He remembered exactly what he had told that boy the day he fled. 'You're not a Viking….You're not my son.' He thought to himself as the group before him waited patiently. _Why shouldn't I just let them kill him? What would I gain in bringing him here just so the village of Berk can do the same? _He knew the village would disagree to Hiccup becoming a slave. No one would accept such a traitor on the Island; not even as a slave. He looked around the table at everyone's individual faces as he thought. _What would they do if they were in my situation? _He cleared his throat before speaking. "I would like to hear your opinion on the subject. I am not going to speak for the village on this matter. Should we leave this letter unanswered and let Hiccup suffer the consequences under their own terms?" He felt his heart drop slightly as he spoke of letting his only son die a miserable death. "Or should we bring the two back on the Island and deal with the situation here?"

The Great Hall remained silent while the council contemplated on the decision. Finally after what seemed like ages an anonymous voice spoke up. "Let the message go unanswered…It's not like we wouldn't be killing them when they got here anyway." The crowd all started to voice their opinion.

"We can't trust those lousy Outcasts to finish the job."

"It's too risky to bring that devil on Berk's ground. We all saw the destruction it left on the kill ring."

"The dragon will just get away if we leave the responsibility up to the Outcasts. The beast was willing to show itself directly in front of three hundred plus dragon-fighting Vikings…..It would be child's play for a village with only about seventy Vikings. We need to kill the beast ourselves."

"What if the dragon gets loose on our ships? We can't risk the lives of everyone that would travel to the island."

"If the message is correct than we should be able to shackle the dragon with ease. We just need to use several extra chains and leather straps."

Stoick nodded to the crowd. "We will bring the Night Fury back to the island and kill it using the method portrayed in the message." He glanced back down at the note and sighed. He was most afraid of what they would do with his son. He didn't want to kill the boy anymore, but he couldn't let him go unpunished. Punishment for a traitor was death…. He looked back up at the council. "What is to be done with Hiccup?"

There was dead silence. No one wanted to say what was on everyone's mind. They had to kill the boy. It was in the Viking code. The council looked to one another and shook their heads in response to Stoick. The chief sighed greatly and closed his eyes for a moment. _They want him to die. _He opened to see each member giving him the same depressing face. The look of regret. The look that said: _You know what you have to do. _He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "So it is settled…..We will kill _both _the Night Fury and Hiccup."

Gobber was pacing impatiently near the table the council was at. He was staying just out of sight while they were coming to a conclusion. "We will kill _both _the Night Fury and Hiccup." He couldn't let them make that call. Hiccup was too important to him. "NO! You can't kill him."

Gobber rushed over to the table where all the eyes were on him. "You can't kill the boy…We never even gave him a chance to explain…..I'm not saying he might be right about the dragons, but he at least deserves the right to plea his own case."

A few men started to disagree with him "He is a traitor. He has no rights."

"We can't let him live. What if he just went and resided with the dragons again? He could start a war against our own village. We can't handle the dragons gaining more knowledge against us."

Gobber was frantically trying to convince the group. "But he is a good boy. Yes he may be a little misled by the beast, but he has a good heart and a good soul. We don't need to punish him with death for trying something new and different."

The audience stared at him with unconvinced faces. "We know you are attached to him Gobber, which is why you weren't invited to this meeting. This village has suffered enough. We can't afford any more."

Gobber stepped back, struck hard by the man's voice. He lowered his head and sighed. "At least let me speak with him… Give me until we get him back to Berk. Then we can decide his fate." He looked back up to the group, whom all nodded in agreement then looked to the chief.

Stoick sighed then gave a cautious smile that only Gobber would be able to see. "So, we have come to a decision….The Night Fury will be killed by the Outcast's terms and Hiccup's fate will be decided upon returning to Berk." He received nods from everyone and a gleaming smile from Gobber. "Great…..We sail at dawn."

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Hiccup was sprinting across the Kill Ring. He barely dodged a deadly blast from the enraged Nightmare. He looked up through the metal caging to his displeased father. He dashed around the ring as the dragon's body was engulfed in flames. He couldn't believe his dad was so arrogant that he couldn't sit still for five minutes. _This is all his fault!….If he wasn't so oblivious to how dragons really were, he wouldn't have slammed that hammer down on the cage, and I wouldn't be running for my life. _Hiccup ducked as the Nightmare shot another blast of fire at him. He screamed as the flame grazed his head. He looked back up at his father who had a disappointed scowl on his face. He scanned the edge of the ring as he ran from the vicious reptile. He saw all the villagers of Berk starring down at him looking disgusted. He saw Snotlout who was laughing at him while he was frantically avoiding the flames. He saw the twins pointing at him with amused faces. He saw Fishlegs peeking through his fingertips at him. He finally saw Astrid. She had her hands on her hips and giving him the look that made him feel worthless. She glared down at him with complete and absolute repulsion.

Hiccup lost his focus and felt his body quickly tiring,his speed slowing down. He lost his footing while sprinted away from the hazardous flames. He fell down harshly and lay in agonizing pain. With no time at all the Nightmare pounced on its prey and growled harshly into the boy's face. Hiccup was frightened as he took in the dragon above him. He screamed for help to the Vikings above, but everyone continued their disappointed glower. His eyes started to water as he noticed that none of the villagers had any compassion for him; they had no concern for him what so ever.

A frightening sound filled the arena. It was a high-pitched whistle that sent everyone to the ground. The Vikings knew what that sound meant. It entailed pain. It meant hurt. It predestined death. The side of the arena lit up with blue light, the expected plasma blast flying into the arena. The cage that lined the top half of the building was shattered apart, a smoking, gaping hole barely visible through the resulting smoke. A figure became clear through the haze, flying in from above; it tackled the Nightmare, knocking it off Hiccup and leading it away. The crowd gasped as they caught sight off the black devil. Everyone present knew what the intruder was.

"Night Fury."

Hiccup never opened his eyes after he heard the distinct resonance of the Night Fury. He knew exactly which dragon that was. He knew that Toothless just flew right into his death. He had to get the Night Fury to leave. Toothless was thrashing his claws at the Nightmare as he growled viciously at the crimson dragon. The Nightmare knew not to mess with the Night Fury, it wasn't strong enough nor smart enough to fight with the offspring of lighting and death itself. The flaming reptile backed down and set off back to its cage in the side of the arena. The Vikings gained their confidence and all started to pour into the arena heading directly for the Night Fury. Hiccup started running for the dragon. "Toothless RUN!"

The Night Fury held his ground and stared down at the Vikings rushing towards him. He caught sight of Stoick and immediately aimed his fury towards the chief. He charged Stoick, causing the two to roll halfway across the arena. Toothless sucked in air as he prepared the fire in his throat. The gas was starting to escape his mouth just as Hiccup interrupted. "Toothless NOOOO!" He could never let the dragon kill his father, not even if the man hated him. The Night Fury stilled his fire and crooned over to the boy. It was for just a moment too long that the dragon lost his concentration. The Vikings took the opportunity and pounced on the Night Fury. They managed to all pile on top of him, completely immobilizing him.

Hiccup looked over to the dragon as tears were rolling down his cheek. "Toothless." He tuned to his father who was regaining his footing. "Please dad. Don't hurt him. He's not like the rest." The chief didn't even give the boy a glance. "Silence….This dragon is going to pay for what it has done to our village." He raised his sword and held it over the Night Fury. Hiccup ran to his father's side, but he was pushed away by the man's large hand. "Dad…No."

The chief adjusted his grip on the sword. "Enough!" He swung with all his might and the sword pierced the dragon's stomach; taking a ragged path, the sword dragged itself upwards, through the Night Fury's heart, and burst out of it's chest. The dragons movements slowed, eyes dilating. he looked over to Hiccup and groaned as he fell to the ground, breaths stilling. Hiccup himself fell to his knees, one hand on his chest; he felt as though his heart had stopped and he couldn't breathe through the pain that pierced his body. He removed his hand and found it dripping with blood, blood that hadn't been there moments ago. Hiccup looked up to his father with horror and keeled over, eyes riveted to Stoick's cross face. "Serves you right." His head felt light and next thing he saw was that everything went black.

Hiccup lunged forward against the wall breathing heavily. One hand cradled his head and the other rested on his heart. The pain was still lingering around his chest. He could still picture that face his father had. "It was just a dream….It was just a dream….Just a nightmare…"Tears were falling to the ground of the prison floor below. He couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him because of the dim light. He tried to slow his breathing as the pain slowly receded. "Toothless? Are you still there bud?" He could faintly see the outline of the Night Fury and the glowing green eyes nervously watching over him, but he still wanted to hear his voice to be reassured.

|| It's okay Hiccup… I'm here. ||

Hiccup finally got some relief from the pain, but still had heavy breathing. "Thank the gods…..I-It was so real Toothless….. We were in the arena back on Berk, and you came to save me from a Monstrous Nightmare. You managed to save me, but the Vikings captured you…..They….They killed you Toothless…." He looked over to the Night Fury as his eyes continued to generate tears. "My dad….He killed you. He raised his sword and stabbed you, and it went right through your heart…You died right in front of me, but when I looked down…There was blood pouring out of _my_ chest…..Toothless it was terrible."

|| It will be okay Hiccup. It was just a nightmare. || Toothless raised himself up and walked over to circle around his human. The shackles that had previously been around his ankles, had been removed by Hiccup using an eating utensil. Once the Night Fury was settled he gestured for Hiccup to lie against him as he lifted his legs. Hiccup stared, slightly puzzled at the dragon. "You want me to lie against your stomach?" Toothless nodded his head and gestured again. "That seems a little close bud…Whoa!" Toothless got tired of waiting on the boy and heaved him in with his legs. He tightly wrapped his human and concealed him with his wing. He peered down his chest at the small boy. || Trust me Hiccup….You are safe with me. You don't need to worry about that. ||

Hiccup wiped away the last of his tears. "I know _I'll _be safe with you…..I'm just worried that _you _won't be safe with me. That day when you dove into the Kill Ring because you heard my scream….You could have died Toothless. Those Vikings would do anything to kill you…..I can't lose you. You're too important to me. Life without you would seem meaningless now that I've gotten the opportunity to know you."

Toothless looked back on the day he saved Hiccup from that sword. He didn't think for one moment about his own safety. The only thing that ran through his mind was that he would he be too late. He held his human slightly tighter as he thought about what could have happened. || We need to leave here Hiccup….It's not safe, and I'm not willing to risk your life to change their minds about the dragons. || He knew that he would do anything to save the boy; even if it meant killing himself, for Hiccup to live.

Hiccup raised his hand and placed it on the Night Fury's snout. Toothless let out a resounding purr and lowered his head closer to his human. "I know bud. We will leave tomorrow…..You think you can blast the lock on the door?" Toothless narrowed his eyes at Hiccup. || Are you doubting my abilities as a Night Fury? || Hiccup rolled his eyes and lay against the heat-radiating dragon. "Ok Toothless…I trust you."

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Alvin woke to someone abruptly banging on his door. He had finally made it to sleep the night before, but certainly not with ease. That menacing Night Fury was all he could think about. He stayed in bed, not wanting to leave the comfort of his own home. With the dragon and his rider still held in the prison quarters, he felt safe away from them within his home. A few moments passed by and the obnoxious banging continued. Alvin sighed and got up to walk over to the door. "Maybe they have escaped…..Would almost be better." He slowly opened the door as the sun brightly shined in. His eyes gradually adjusted and Savage was staring at him with a perplexed face. "Sir, the ships from Berk have arrived. They have come for the boy and the Night Fury."

Alvin looked over to the docks. Sure enough, there were three ships all wearing the Berk crest sitting at rest. He sighed as he knew that he again had to deal with the Night Fury. He looked around the ships to see who was sent from the isle of Berk. Stoick was commanding his men, another with two limbs standing beside him. He turned his attention to Savage. "Go retrieve Stoick and we will bring him to the prison quarters."

Alvin slowly walked over to Outcast Hall. He grabbed some of the leftover breakfast from what the other villagers had earlier on and waited patiently for Savage to return with Stoick and his men beside. He glared over to the men staring at him He was not in the mood for anyone to test his temper. Everyone that was eyeing the chief quickly turned, knowing that Alvin was especially irritable today.

Stoick marched alongside Savage as they approached Alvin. Gobber was lagging behind as he limped along. Alvin raised his bloodshot eyes to look at the chief that resided from Berk. "Stoick." Alvin uttered the man's name with distaste. Stoick glared over to the leader of the Outcasts. "Alvin." He had the same displeasure in meeting the fellow chief. "Where are Hiccup and that damned Night Fury?"

Alvin shook his head chuckling slightly. "Stoick, Stoick. Always right to the point, aren't you?" Stoick narrowed his eyes at the Outcast. "You know why I'm here on this god forsaken rock. I only came here so that I can make sure that justice is paid for that devil and the boy."

Alvin glanced between Stoick and Gobber. "I hope you have more men than just the two of you. It took almost twenty of my finest warriors to take down that dragon." Stoick nodded and glanced to Gobber for a moment. "We will just see the boy for a moment before we take them into custody. I would like to let him know who he is dealing with." Alvin started laughing. "You are more than welcome Stoick, but let me assure you of this: killing that Night Fury is going to be your biggest challenge yet. I have never seen a dragon act on such rage as when we captured Hiccup. That beast is very protective of your son, Stoick." The chief from Berk turned to follow Alvin towards the prison quarters. "He's not my son…..No son of mine would betray fellow Vikings to reside with dragons."

Alvin looked over to Stoick as they neared the prison. "Funny…..One of the guards told me that he mentioned 'How could a father try and kill his own son for trying to make an alliance?'…..It's not an alliance that I agree with Stoick, and I believe that the two should be sentenced to death, but I never once thought you would think the same way." Stoick looked over to Gobber who was giving him the same look that he had been giving him ever since he condemned Hiccup to death. The face of 'How could you do this?'. Stoick sighed and turned back to Alvin. "A chief has to do what's best for the village….Even if he doesn't believe in it."

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Toothless was purring deeply as Hiccup was scratching his backside and rubbing his sore ribs. Hiccup was laughing at the loving dragon while he dug his fingers into the Night Fury's scales. "You seem to like this too much…..Can you really not reach these spots on your body?"

Toothless rolled over, trying to motivate Hiccup to scratch his belly. || When you have two massive wings, they tend to block access to your back…..I usually have to rub up against the side of a tree or a jagged rock. Nothing's as good as your perfect hands though. || His chest rumbled as Hiccups fingers worked their way around to his legs. || You have no idea how good that feels.||

Hiccup was chuckling as the Night Fury continued to purr along. "Haha….So you think you can make the flight off this island now that your muscles are all relaxed?"

|| Just five more minutes….I'm in heaven right now. ||

Hiccup stopped and looked over his puppy like dragon. "You know….You really are just a big pushover. All anyone has to do is scratch behind your….Whoa!." Hiccup was thrust to the ground by the now vicious looking Night Fury. || Who is the pushover now? ||

Toothless growled into Hiccups face as he attempted to frighten him. Hiccup lay across the ground staring baffled up at the dragon. "You know I'm not afraid of you anymore. I know your tactics and I know you wouldn't put a scratch on me."

Toothless reared back slightly and narrowed his eyes at his human. || You think so my little human? ||

Hiccup narrowed his eyes and smiled deviously at the dragon. "You couldn't hurt me if you tried."

Toothless sucked in an enormous amount of air and roared thunderously into Hiccup's face. He raised his head looking accomplished, but immediately went bewildered when he saw the laughing boy below him. || Seems like I will have to take some desperate measures. || He gathered gas within his throat and reared back once more. Just as he was confident with enough gas he shot as continuous flame around Hiccup's head, leaving behind a scorched and blue flaming floor. He growled deviously at his human and gave another deafening roar.

Hiccup shielded his face and closed his eyes from the ferocious beast. "AHH! Ok, Toothless, you got me!"

Toothless smiled slightly and narrowed his eyes once again. || Success. || His glory was cut short as he heard one of the men next to their cell give a fake sounding cough. He quickly turned and started growling at the men looking into the cell. He backed up slightly while pulling Hiccup close with his paw.

Stoick turned to Alvin with a disappointed scowl. "I thought you had these two in shackles and in different cells."

Alvin shook his head from the ferocious Night Fury and turned to Stoick. "They were. That Night Fury has reduced every one of my guards to infantile morons and they have not overseen the two properly."

Hiccup shook his head and glanced up from behind the Night Fury's claw. "Dad?….Gobber? What are you guys doing here?... I thought Alvin said you weren't coming. "

Alvin chuckled at the arrogant teenager. "You fool. I lied Hiccup. That is what Outcasts do. Did you really think I would just let you live in that cell without letting your father know?"

Hiccup sighed and crouched back behind the dragon. "What do you want with me? I have done nothing to the village of Berk. Why don't you just leave me and Toothless alone? We mean you no harm!"

Stoick scoffed and stepped towards the cage; resulting in Toothless giving off a deep growl at the man. "You have betrayed the Viking ways Hiccup. Anyone would be sentenced to death for that and you know it!"

Hiccup shook his head and stared up at the chief from Berk. "That is ridiculous! Just because someone tries something new for a change doesn't mean they're a traitor! I have simply found that dragons are not the creatures we once thought they were….Toothless here has already shown another tribe to the east of here that dragons are safe and friendly. This war that we have between them is meaningless! There is…"

"Enough!" Stoick was growing impatient. "I have already heard this speech once Hiccup and you don't sound anymore convincing this time than the last! We are here to take you and that devil back to Berk so that we can set the two of you as an example. Your Night Fury will perish with you alongside it if we have to."

Hiccup glanced between the growling Night Fury and the chief. "He won't let that happen. We have a destiny to complete and you're not going to get in the way of that…..Toothless is a Night Fury, and up until now, I didn't know what that meant. He is the _only_ Night Fury. His purpose in this world is to reconcile the humans and the dragons. He wouldn't be able to do it without me and we are not about to stop because of a few dreadful men like yourselves try to get in our way….We have already succeeded with the village of Hidra, and now we are off to another tribe to convince them."

Stoick brought his hand down his face in disgust of the boy. "How would you even know? These are mindless beasts Hiccup! It's not like we can talk to them nor have a common relationship with them."

Toothless roared at the bars of the cell causing the men to step back slightly. Hiccup was growing more irritable with every word. "You are so wrong!...I _can_ talk to Toothless. We _do _have a relationship. He would die for me if it came to that! Toothless has shown me more than any of you could imagine. He has shown me the reason why the dragons keep stealing food. He has shown me how loving and caring a dragon can be. He showed the entire village of Hidra that dragons are safe just by a touch to his snout!"

Savage was whispering to Alvin and Gobber that they should probably take a few steps back from the increasingly more pissed off Night Fury.

"STOP HICCUP!" Stoick's voice silenced the men behind him. "You sound ridiculous! Has that beast brainwashed you? Listen to yourself! You're babbling on about a useless reptile that has done nothing but kill innocent people and destroy our village!"

Hiccup was becoming infuriated. "No! You have done nothing but kill the dragons. They defend themselves. That's all! You know nothing about them and what a dragon can really be like!"

Stoick smashed his hammer on the cell door which caused Toothless to shoot a blast of plasma at the weapon. Stoick tuned to watch his hammer fly across the floor, the head half vaporized. "I have had enough of this Hiccup! Tomorrow we are taking the two of you aboard our ship and sailing back to Berk. Once we get there we will string up the Night Fury and kill him during the next dragon raid….You will die along with him unless we can come up with a suitable punishment for your actions."

Hiccup shook his head once more. "That's not going to happen. You will see the truth behind these dragons eventually, but we are not about to let you stop us from training the other villages."

Stoick rolled his eyes and proceeded down the hallway away from the two. Alvin and Savage cautiously made their way away while trying not to upset the furious Night Fury any more. Gobber watched puzzled as the two Outcasts left. He sighed then looked back to Hiccup. "You're not going to get through to him by yelling at him Hiccup…..I don't know if you're right about these beasts, but I don't think you're wrong. Everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves. If what you are saying is true…..Then we might have a major turn of events around here. ….Just don't get yourself killed by your own father Hiccup. He still loves you, but he can't show it to you if you guys can't agree." He looked back to the Night Fury who was seemingly calm now. He looked closely at Toothless. "I don't know if he can understand me….but he seems to have settled down a little more now."

Toothless scoffed and circled around Hiccup without letting his eyes leave Gobber. || He seems to pose no threat. ||

Hiccup reached over to the Night Fury's ear and started scratching harmlessly. Toothless' eyes dilated and he started purring affectionately. "They really aren't bad Gobber….Toothless is the best friend I could ever ask for."

Gobber slowly stepped towards the cell and reached out his bare hands showing the Night Fury he meant no harm. Toothless narrowed his eyes and glanced down to Hiccup who was pleading with his eyes. || You're going to be rubbing my back all night for this you know. ||

Hiccup sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah…Like I have anything else to do." He looked over to Gobber who now looked astonished. "Yes…I can talk to him."

Gobber glanced between the two. "Yeah….I figured that out. I just didn't believe you when you said it the first time."

Hiccup smiled and motioned for Gobber to come closer. "Lift your hand and put it up to Toothless. Let him close the gap and you will see what I'm talking about with the dragons."

Gobber eyed Hiccup and the Night Fury carefully. "Are you sure about this Hiccup?"

Hiccup chuckled slightly. "Of course. Just raise your hand slowly."

Gobber obliged and stuck his arm through the bars of the cell. He stopped his hand inches from the Night Fury's snout. Toothless glanced down at Hiccup one more time before he pushed his snout into the man's hand. Gobber let out a deep breath as he felt the beating heart of the dragon. He felt the Night Fury's powerful breaths as the dragon pulled away. "He is really something Hiccup….That's all I got to say…..If you can get your father to do that, then you just may have another village on your side."

Hiccup smiled up at his former mentor. "Eventually we will Gobber."

The two-limbed man nodded then started limping down the hallway. "Goodnight Hiccup."

Hiccup turned his head from Gobber up to Toothless. The dragon was rumbling slightly and admiring his young human. || You better get to work with those magical hands of yours. ||

Hiccup sighed and tilted his head back. "You never let me rest do you?"

|| No. Now start scratching. I'm all tense again after that whole ordeal. ||

Hiccup slowly got up and started to work on the spoiled Night Fury's back. "Don't get used to this."

Toothless started purring lovingly as he laid on the floor. || You better get used to this….With the way things are going, you're going to have to do this every night. ||

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AN: There it is! Did you like it? Stoick's having some mood swings about his son.

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Thanks for viewing!


	8. Chapter 8: Night Fury

AN: We are back, on a perfect day as well. For those of you who do not know, the teaser trailer for How to Train Your Dragon 2 has been released!

I have to say that I'm very proud of this chapter. I think that it has come together very well. I am excited to get this part of the story up and out into the public. This takes over as the new chapter leader in terms of words.

Disclaimer: Once again, I would like to let all of you know that this Fic is rated T. There will be blood. There will be violence. There will be mild language.

I am thrilled to give you:

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Truth and Reconciliation

Night Fury

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There was silence within the prison block. The dim lighting only showed enough to barely see the heaving body of a Night Fury. The obsidian beast had rolled its wing around its body as if it were trying to conceal something. Every few moments the deadly reptile would slowly produce a long exhale as it slept through the dismal night. Clutched within the dragon's wings was the peaceful sleeping body of a young teen. The boy was completely shielded from the world by the protective Night Fury. The human was sleeping soundly as he held onto the pitch-black body that lay next to him. The dragon's eyes gradually opened to reveal the malnourished boy below his snout.

Toothless simply stayed still as he watched Hiccup sleep serenely. A small grin appeared on his face as he thanked whatever gods that were out there that he could spend his life with his Hiccup. He let out a smooth breath that ruffled his human's hair. Toothless remained perfectly calm as he let Hiccup enjoy his slumber. It was still too early for him to wake the boy. While he managed to only need a few hours of sleep each night, Hiccup would need closer to seven or eight hours. Toothless would occasionally wake so that he could watch over his human. It gave him a sense of security knowing that Hiccup was safe at all times. He knew that anyone trying to reach Hiccup would wake himself in the process, but he still felt the need to check his local surroundings for any potential threats.

Toothless knew that Hiccup wouldn't be around forever, and that he wouldn't be able to keep the boy all to himself. Hiccup was too great. Eventually someone within this world will find Hiccup and want to be a part of his life. The boy had too much to offer this world to go unnoticed. Eventually Toothless would have to settle with having to share Hiccup. He could only hope that his part of Hiccup's life would be elongated. He scanned the boy's seemingly motionless body. || I may not have you all to myself forever, but no one will be allowed to share your prominence with me until I concede. ||

Toothless lay at rest for the next few hours pondering what would happen in their future. 'Where will we go next? What challenges will we face? Will Hiccup ever see eye to eye with his dreadful father? What do Alvin's insides look like?'He felt the warm body of Hiccup twitch and shutter every few moments. The boy finally opened his eyes and gazed straight up to Toothless. The Night Fury gave a resounding purr as he watched his human awake from his slumber. The two merely stared into each others eyes as a small smile appeared on both of their faces. Hiccup felt completely relaxed as he felt the subtle vibrations coming from within the midnight scales. "Do you wait until I arouse to start your purring so that you don't wake me?"

Toothless continued to admire his human as he gave the smallest of nods. The only thing Toothless wanted was for Hiccup to be comfortable and serene. Hiccup lowered his line of sight and leaned his head against the Night Fury's soothing chest. The two remained nearly silent with the only sound being the faint reverberations coming from the Night Fury.

Toothless let out a slow breath resulting in Hiccups hair whiling like in a gust of wind. The dragon's purring came to an abrupt halt. Hiccup looked up to Toothless seeing him looking down the hallway and his ears twitching. "What is it bud? Is everything Ok?" Toothless retracted his wings as he sniffed the surrounding air.

|| Alvin. ||

"Great." Hiccups tone was filled with sarcasm and disappointment.

Sure enough a large stumbling Viking came into view. A mug of mead was in hand, as the man awkwardly staggered towards the cell. "Hello Hiccup." He gave the 'p' some extra emphasis. Toothless narrowed his eyes as he started to produce a low growl that resounded through the prison block. Alvin rolled his eyes put a hand on the bars of the cell. "Calm down you over protective dragon. I'm not here to hurt your precious little human."

Hiccup sighed with distaste for the man. "What do you want Alvin, and why did you come here drunk?" The large man took another gulp from his rejuvenating beverage. "If I didn't come drunk….I would have never come at all." The chief's voice revealed a sense of pain and regret and sorrow. Hiccup stared baffled up at the man, trying to get a read on the man's words. "What do you mean?"

Alvin sighed, dropping his gaze to the ground below. "Hiccup….You need to get out of here. If your father manages to get you on his ship, your fate will be sealed. He won't listen to you Hiccup. I guarantee it. The man is just like me, we've both been fighting these beasts our whole lives and now all the sudden a strange little boy is able to make a connection with them." He gestured to Toothless as he spoke. "I don't think I will ever come to terms with what you are trying to do, but that doesn't mean I should stop you from trying. That Night Fury of yours has brought an aura of sorts around this island ever since the two of you arrived. He has managed to frighten the toughest soldiers in all the land. Hell….I can't even sleep at night without that damned dragon keeping me awake."

Hiccup leaned back against Toothless, being awestruck by Alvin's sudden change in perspective. "Why are you telling me this Alvin? I know we have to leave. What makes you think we were staying by choice?"

Alvin looked back up to the boy and the Night Fury. "I know damn well that if you tried you could break out of here in the blink of an eye. No dragon has ever stayed put as long as your Night Fury here. You haven't let him even try to blast through this door." Hiccup groaned as was growing frustrated. "So now you're saying you're going to just _let _us leave?" Alvin shook his head in response. "No…. I can't do that. I have to try and stop you from leaving, otherwise my reputation here would be tarnished. No. I _will_ try and stop you, but maybe I'll just give up after you start flying away on that beast's back. You _need _to leave here Hiccup. The next time your father comes here he is going to bring dozens of men, all armed to their teeth. He will capture the two of you if you stay, I guarantee it. With the rest of my men and the three ships of men he brought, I'm sure they could take down that dragon again."

Hiccup's eyes wandered the room aimlessly. "I don't understand. Why are just changing your mind all the sudden about Toothless and me?"

Alvin drank the last of his mead then looked to Hiccup with grief. "A father should never put his tribe before his family. What he has done to you and is trying to do is wrong. I honestly never would have expected him to go down this path. Especially after he saw how it turned out with me…."

Hiccup looked up to the man, confused. Alvin didn't need Hiccup to ask. "Your father never told you?" Hiccup shrugged and shook his head. Alvin sighed as looked into his empty mug. The mug felt about the same as his life, empty, without purpose, all of its greatness long gone. He sat down on the floor and prepared to give Hiccup the explanation. He stared back at the boy mourning his loss. "I made the same mistake long ago. Believe it or not, I used to be what they call a good man." He smiled as he reminisced on his prime. "I was the prideful chief of a succeeding village. We would help those in need and provide for those who have lost. Everyone looked to me for advice and favored being around me….Now all I'm seen as is a lousy good for nothing Outcast." He paused and looked down the hall to make sure they were still in private. "Like I said though, I made a mistake. I lost everyone I have ever loved because of it…..We were in the middle of a dragon raid, nothing out of the ordinary just a bunch of food stealing reptiles swarming our village. I was busy commanding the tribe on what to do. I guess I wasn't paying enough attention when a Monstrous Nightmare started attacking one of my villagers. I ran towards the beast with all my might, ready to tear at its wings and slaughter it for the other dragons to see. What I didn't realize was the villager it was attacking, that was my son. The boy was only just six years of age. All he wanted was to fight like his father…The dragon was too fast for my boy. The dragon's scorching viscous flames burned right through his skin. I managed to pounce on the beast and bring him down with a sword through the heart, but I was still too late. My son was severely wounded and he wouldn't survive the fatal burns. I should have spent more time with the boy when I had the chance. I was too busy ruling the village and trying to be successful that I never taught my only son what to do in battle. My wife would always pressure me to do so, but I always pushed it aside and left it for another day. I never took the time for my family, I always thought about what was best for the village. My boy had just enough strength to whisper one last sentence as he was dying in my arms. _I'm sorry dad._"A tear started to trickle down his face as he blankly stared at Toothless. "Then, when I thought it was finally over, the Night Fury attacked…."

Hiccup looked up to Toothless knowing full well that it had to be him. Toothless nodded slightly and exhaled. || I remember that night vividly, although he looks so much different now. He used to be much more physically fit and with much better muscle tone….But I remember what happened that night. He had just killed that Nightmare. One of the strongest dragons I had the pleasure of knowing. I had to avenge his death. There was a woman running for him and his son. I knew it had to be his mate; I had to take someone important to him as he had just done to me. My distinct whistle sent them all to the ground. I gathered my aim and blew the blast of plasma straight and true. I didn't need to stick around to assess the damage; I knew my aim was faultless. || Hiccup turned back to see Alvin glaring down at them.

The man sighed and looked back down at the ground. "He told you, didn't he?" Hiccup nodded showing regret. "I knew it was your friend….Yesterday you said that he was the _only_ Night Fury." He turned his vision towards Toothless as a tear rolled down his cheek. "You killed my wife; in front of my very eyes. How could you be so cold and heartless?"

Toothless crooned to the man sorrowfully. He had never felt guilty for any of his actions, but after seeing the pain that the man has endured, he couldn't help but feel sorry for what he had done. He looked down to Hiccup with his eyes being as round as possible. Hiccup put his hand on the Night Fury's chin and sighed. "He's sorry for killing your wife Alvin. He knows now that it wasn't right."

Alvin shook his head. "Yeah I figured that he had changed since then. Otherwise he probably would have killed you too…..I will never forgive him for what he did, but I will allow him to live."

Hiccup sat in silence as he couldn't imagine losing two family members back to back. "So what happened after that?"

"Everything went to hell." His tone was hoarse and filled with anger. "After I saw her die, I went on a rampage. I killed everything and everyone in my path. If the gods wanted me to be miserable, then I wanted the world to be miserable. I don't know how many people I killed that night. All I remember was waking up on this island with a note saying I was banished and was deemed an Outcast. All I was left with was the clothes on my back. Everything I cherished was gone. They even took my only daughter. It's been fifteen years, and I haven't seen her since." He got to his feet and started walking away. "You need to leave Hiccup….You need to leave before I change my mind."

The two heard the sound of the door closing at the end of the hallway. Hiccup rotated his head to Toothless. "What do think bud?"

|| The same thing that I have been saying all along. We need to get out of here. It's useless to stay here and try to change the minds of those who are unwilling. If Alvin is right, then your father is going to come down that hallway with dozens of Viking all ready to fight. I won't be able to protect the both of us without one of us getting captured of injured. I will not allow that to happen again. ||

Hiccup let out a slow breath and looked to the floor. "So when do we go?" Toothless let out a small blast of blue light that obliterated the lock on the cell door. The door swung open being released from the fastener. || Now. ||

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Alvin walked slowly away from the prison block heading for Outcast Hall. His recent encounter with the boy and his Night Fury had been sobering. The memories of his family ran cleanly through his mind. "If only I could have told you how much I love you one last time." He looked up at the entrance to towns meeting place and then to the heavens. "Please tell me I just made the right decision." Within seconds he heard the familiar sound of a Night Fury's deadly blast come from within the prison block. The sound only reminded him of one thing, death.

There were several men that had heard the blast as well, all whom which started running for the prisons entrance. The guards yelled up to Alvin in fear. "The Night Fury is escaping!" Dozens of guards raised their weapons and looked to Alvin for approval. The Outcast chief took a deep breath then nodded to the men. He told Hiccup that they would be up against a fight. He couldn't just let them leave without an opposing force.

The men raised their spears and retrieved their nets. They waited patiently for the only entrance to the jail to blow open. There was an eerie silence as the men awaited; it was as if time had come to a standstill. A gentle breeze came through catching some of the guard's attention. Off the coast of the island, a raging storm was approaching. Lightning was flashing violently and the sea below appeared dark as night. The men shivered slightly hearing the storms vengeance whirl. Everyone returned their gaze to barred door of focus.

A strike of lightning bolted to the ground just beyond the prison. A bright blue blast smashed into the door before them causing it to be thrown from its hinges. A dark shadow was revealed as the smoke settled. One of the few dozen shouted to the heavens. "NIGHT FURY!"

The enraged beast sprang into action and catapulted himself into battle. Toothless violently thrashed his tail at the men before him, sending them flying towards buildings and houses. He fought the men with vehemence in his eyes. He didn't have the full adrenaline rush that the condition would offer, but he had enough to take down the Outcast warriors. Lightning flashed across the dimming sky. The Night Fury gathered his gases and blew a stream of fire through the nets that were being cast his way.

Alvin watched in horror as his men were thrown across the town by the menacing dragon. Each time a man would slam into the side of a building, each time he would get back up and charge the Night Fury once again. The dragon spread his wings, tossing warriors to each side. The sky crackled as if it were about to collapse and a burst of lightning crashed into the shore of the raging sea. Alvin looked into the clouds seeing the ferociousness of the storm above him. If he had not just risen for the day a few hours before, he could have sworn it was midnight out. Wind was picking up dramatically as the sky lit up the town every few seconds. Never had he seen a storm of this magnitude. The sky was erupting before them, but not a single drop of rain fell from it. It was purely an electrical storm. The chief watched the Night Fury before him take advantage of the sporadic changes in light. He could see the dragon's face getting ready to devour a man in one strike of light, both would be gone in the next. He felt his heart sinking and rage starting to fume inside him. He couldn't have his village go down in this battle. He had to do something to stop it. He had to make the beast leave before he slaughtered half the town. Alvin sprinted towards the skirmish at full force, the destructive flashes of light guiding his way towards the menacing reptile.

Toothless whirled around, sending soldiers flying in every direction. He paused for a moment, watching the dozens of men getting back to their feet and rushing back towards him. He let out a vicious roar and sent a bright ball of plasma at some of the nearing Outcasts. He lashed his tail and growled throatily at the guards charging him from all direction. He knew he couldn't take them out individually. He had to be smarter with his time. He gripped the surface of the ground below him and prepared to swing his tail around his body. Seven men were approaching him from all angles; he had to time it perfectly. As soon as the men came within striking distance, he violently hurled his body around. His tail gained momentum and struck the men with an incredible force.

Alvin ran towards the Night Fury at full speed. Six other men followed suite, hoping that together, they could down the dragon. He narrowed his eyes at the sadistic beast as he charged. The dragon suddenly jerked. It threw its body into motion and spun with deadly thrust. He saw the black tail blur through his vision and smack him vigorously. He flew through the air and smashed into the side of the prison. He shook his head and started to charge again, only being stopped by pressure in his chest. He paused and looked down to see the dilemma, only to feel his heart drop completely. There, a bloody spear tip had punctured clean through his chest. It was one of the spears that had been mounted to the side of the prison. The blade of the weapon had pressed completely through his flesh and fish-hooked on his now bloody skin. "Oh…."

Hiccup, as Toothless insisted he stay out of the fight, was watching the events unfold before him as Alvin was thrust into the side of the prison next to him. He froze when he saw the spear puncture through the man's chest. "No." He sprinted over to the chief with fear spreading through his body. He abruptly came to a halt in front of Alvin. "No, no!...This wasn't supposed to happen!" He was frantically trying to assess the situation. Break the spear or leave it in? "No! Alvin I'm so sorry."

The chief lifted his head slowly and painfully exhaling. "It-Its ok Hiccup." He winced at the shortness in his breath. A loud crash of lightning struck flashing the village into sight. "It's not your fault Hiccup." A tear was rolling down his cheek. "It's ok." Hiccup shook his head violently. "No! It's not ok…Look at yourself, that spear went clear through you!" His eyes were becoming watery as he looked up at Alvin. "I have to get help; I need to find a healer that can fix this." He started to turn away and run, but Alvin grabbed his shoulder. "No Hiccup." He tried to catch his breath as he spoke. "Hiccup….You can't fix this….I- I'm not going to make it." Hiccup was now crying profusely. "There has to be something I can do!" He was in denial. He didn't want to see the man before him die this way.

Fiery bolts crashed across the sky as the storm writhed in fury. Toothless was busy thrashing at the men still concentrated in battle. None of the villagers had noticed Alvin being injured. Toothless caught sight of Hiccup standing next to the limp body of Alvin. He roared to the men approaching him with vengeance. He had to keep them occupied while Hiccup was busy. He didn't know what was wrong, but he could sense that something was off between them.

Hiccup stared at the man before him while tears dripped down his face. "I-I'm so sorry Alvin." The dying chief admired the scrawny boy and let a small smile creep across his face. "It's ok Hiccup; everything's going to be fine. Don't you realize what this means?" Hiccup brought his gaze from the red dripping spear to Alvin's pale face. "What do you mean?" The chief breathed slowly knowing that these few would be his last. "This means that I get to go home again. I'm no longer banished from my family Hiccup." He struggled to inhale through his punctured lung. "I'll finally be able to see my wife. I'll finally be able to see my son." He clenched his eyes as the pain was becoming unbearable. "To tell you the truth, I've been waiting for this to happen for a long time." Hiccup cried into the man's blood soaked shirt. "But I don't want you to leave Alvin." Alvin smiled at the young boy. "But I want to leave. Hiccup, you're going to make a difference in this world; I know it. You're going to travel to the tallest mountains and across the deepest seas, you and your Night Fury are going to change this world." He clenched his fist as a surge of pain took over his body. The sky crackled as it gained electricity for another strike. Alvin took in another breath to try and hold on for a little bit longer. "Hiccup, I need you to do one thing for me." Hiccup nodded his head and wiped away his soaked eyes. "Anything, whatever you want." Alvin struggled to speak. "Just t-tell my daughter that I love her. I know you will see her. When you find her….." He took in a final breath of air. "Tell her…. I love her." He exhaled and closed his eyes for the last time. His head went limp and fell to the side; the cadaver supported only by the spear that killed him.

Hiccup fell to his knees and watched as his tears pelt the dirt below him. He closed his eyes and cursed the war that caused this. He looked back up at the lifeless body of the Outcast. "I will find her Alvin. I will pass on your final wish."

Hiccup stayed on the ground as the sky shook with rage. He looked over to the Night Fury that was still locked in battle. The sky lit up with a bright flash that gave clear visibility across the entire village. Hiccup's eyes went wide as he saw the figures approaching. He quickly stood and started sprinting for the Night Fury. "Toothless! We have to go now!" A man stepped in front of him blocking his path. Hiccup skidded to a halt and stared up at the man before him. A large figure wearing a green leather gown, a large dragon imprinted belt and a cape made from fur grabbed him by the neck and threw to the ground. Hiccup stared back up at the man as he winced from the fall. "Dad."

Stoick turned from the boy and shouted to his men. "Use the nets! Everyone charge the beast at once!" The men obliged perfectly. Several men jumped out from the sides of the buildings and cast their nets over the Night Fury. The dragon shuffled beneath the nets trying to break free. All at once, the Vikings from Berk piled on top of the Night Fury and sealed his mouth shut. Toothless roared beneath the Vikings and thrashed to try and break free. A few more Vikings approached the deadly reptile and attached a leather muzzle around his snout. Two long ropes lead away from the muzzle giving the Vikings leverage against the violent Night Fury.

Hiccup watched in horror as the men pulled at Toothless to keep him under control. The men kept the nets over the dragon to help keep him from thrashing at anyone. Hiccup flinched as the Night Fury strained against the bonds. He looked up to his father with anger welling up inside. "Let him go! That Night Fury won't hurt you!" Stoick turned back his son, infuriated. "Look what it has done! Alvin is dead because of that mindless beast! I can't believe that you are still not convinced that it is a worthless creature!" He shook his head in rage. "What more proof do you want Hiccup!?" Hiccup crawled back slowly from the nearly screaming man. "He didn't do it on purpose. He is only defending himself. He wouldn't kill anyone if you just gave him a chance!"

Stoick shook his head slowly as a tear rolled down his face. "The beast has taken over your mind. You're too far gone." Hiccup started backpedaling rapidly as he stared shocked up to his father. "Dad, what are you saying?" Stoick brushed the tears from his face. "I'm saying that you're not Hiccup anymore. You're just a slave to the mind of a Night Fury. My son would have never put a dragon's life before a human." Thunder echoed throughout the village as Stoick unsheathed his sword.

Toothless started growling violently up at Stoick. The chief turned to see the menacing Night Fury. There was an unusual blue glow coming from around the dragon's mouth. Toothless was hissing up at him with eyes thin as paper. He dug his claws into the ground as his growls grew in intensity, rumbling with the force of thunder. Stoick turned to the Vikings holding the Fury's reigns. "Keep that devil under control." One of the men was trembling slightly as he nodded to Stoick. "Sir? That Night Fury has something in its mouth." Stoick shook his head to the man. "That's the beast's fire he is breathing, do not let him escape!" He looked back down to meet eyes with Toothless. "You will die next, you senseless brute." Toothless fed more gas into his mouth, causing the blue glow to shine brighter from his jaw. His heart was picking up its pace violently, blood shooting through his veins at an immense rate. He growled deep within his throat, shaking the windows of the nearby houses. Lightning crashed nearby, temporarily blinding everyone near.

Stoick took his attention from the vicious cobalt radiance of the Night Fury back to his son. He clenched his fist around the handle on his sword. "Hiccup, you have proven to me that you are taking the life of a traitor over the life of a Viking. You have no right to live in these lands. You have helped this beast kill innocent men and now you will be punished."

The sky flashed lighting up the village as far as the eye could see. Toothless gave a muffled roar at the chief from Berk. He was losing his control over his body as anger writhed within him. Hiccup glanced over at the ferocious Night Fury. The blue haze coming from his jaw gave the dragon an appearance that would come from an animal with a vicious disease. He knew exactly what Toothless was doing. He knew what the dragon was going through. He knew what the Night Fury had pumping through his veins. The expression on the reptile's face was one of fierce hatred, one of unbridled hostility, one of absolute revulsion. He could see it through the thin slits of eyes that the Night Fury had. He saw the pain the beast was enduring within his heart, he saw the violence that was raging to be let loose; he saw the fury Toothless had towards his father. He saw pure, unrestrained, Vehemence.

Stoick raised his sword over the boy lying below him. "You will suffer the consequences Hiccup. You're no son of mine. You're a disgrace to Vikings everywhere." He placed his other hand on the sword and lifted the weapon one last time to finish the deed he failed to accomplish before. "Now, you die." Just as Stoick clenched his eyes closed preparing to strike, Toothless snapped the leather muzzle open and bared his fangs, wrathfully extending his wings. The men holding the now ruined muzzle, charged the Night Fury. The dragon threw himself into rage at the unprepared Vikings. Toothless charged one of the men and slammed him into the ground, shearing his way through flesh with a single thrash of his claw. Four deep gashes were left running across the man's face and down his body. Toothless leapt onto another threat and used his incredible jaw strength to rip the man's arm clean off, tossing the fleshy limb to the side as he chose his next target.

Stoick immediately turned to see the Night Fury slaughtering his men. He shouted down to Hiccup with rage. "Tell the beast to cease!" Hiccup stared back up at his father with a horrified expression. "I can't." Stoick took in a breath of air and sprinted for the thrashing Night Fury. He took his dagger in his hand and prepared to leap onto the reptile. The dragon saw the chief running for him and threw his body around, roaring as he pounced on the man. The two barrel rolled across the ground stopping with the Night Fury in the upper position. The dragon fired a pre-prepared stream of fire straight onto the chief. The blast of viscous plasma ran down the man's body, leaving a trail of destruction. The chief's face had been transformed into a gully of roasted flesh and oozing blood. The man's chest was engulfed in flames as the plasma ate into the limp body, melting into something that resembled a deadly acid.

The war came to an abrupt halt as the Vikings watched their heroic leader get massacred by the ruthless Night Fury. The Vikings all ceased their charges as the dragon heaved over the lifeless body of their chief. The Night Fury struggled to regain his breath after he poured his fire into the man below him. Reality finally started to set in on the dragon. He turned his attention over to Hiccups overwhelmed face. He quickly glanced back to the man below him then back to Hiccup. The Toothless side of him started coming back. He felt his heart drop as he realized what he had done. || No. ||

Hiccup still had his hand reached out to try and stop Toothless from killing his father. "Dad." Toothless stepped off of the man below him and frantically assessed the situation. || No! I didn't mean to. I couldn't stop myself. Hiccup. Please! || Tears were streaming down the boys face as he couldn't believe the sight before him. "Dad, no!" He slammed his fist into the ground as he bowed his head. He sobbed as he saw a blurry vision of the ground. "Dad."

Toothless frantically glanced around to all the shocked faces of the Vikings. || Hiccup! We need to leave! || The boy gave no response; he couldn't handle the strain on his heart at the moment. Some of the Vikings started to blink back to life. They turned to each other and gave nods in agreement. One of the men felt bold enough to shout a war cry. "Night Fury!"

Toothless hurled his head around and roared at the men beginning to charge. He looked to Hiccup who looked completely helpless lying on the ground. He knew he had to get them out of there. He spread his wings, thrusting men to the side as they charged. He sprinted for his human, violently pushing the men away in the process. He reached the boy who now seemed dead to the world and forced his head underneath the boy's body,pushing him up onto the dragon's neck. He stood quickly and started sprinting for the forest. || Just hang on Hiccup, I'm getting us out of here. ||

Hiccups jaw was shaking as he cried into the dragon's saddle. He used the little strength he had to grip the handles with all his might. He felt the sky falling down on top of him, soaking his body with the clear liquid. The sky crackled above him, then sounded a thunderous charge. He kept his hand clenched around the reigns as he felt the pelting water land on his head. He closed his eyes and let Toothless lead them to safety. He felt his heart beat slower than ever; echoing throughout his body. Each beat of the Night Fury's gallop forced another teardrop to fall. The only words that ran through his mind were, 'Hang on.' That was all he could do. He couldn't think of anything else except to hang on to what mattered to him most, now that he had lost so much.

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AN: Tough chapter. I even got some watery eyes writing this. This was written, rewritten, and then rewritten again. Gift of the Dragons deserves major credit for this chapter. I constantly went to them for advice and this chapter has changed in many ways because of it. I really appreciate all of the reviews everyone has been leaving. I'm sorry Loonaticslover13….I know you didn't want this chapter to end this way. To be honest, it wasn't the original plan, but I feel the story can only benefit from it.

To everyone who follows this story, you are all wonderful! We have crossed the 100 follow threshold! Thank you so much!

For those who loved this story, please remember to review, follow and favorite.

Thank you for viewing!


	9. Chapter 9: The Rain that Follows

AN: We're back! Hope you didn't miss us too much. Haha... Not quite as long this time, but still averaging over 5,000 words per chapter.

Anyway, here it is! I give you:

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Truth and Reconciliation

The Rain that Follows

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Each thrust of the Night Fury's limbs strained Hiccup's worn body as their bodies were soaked from the sheets of rain from above. Hiccup didn't know whether it was tears running down his face or the sky down pouring on them. He wasn't paying any attention to where they were going; he didn't care to know. The only thing he wanted was to find safety and rest. His heart was still pounding slower than normal; it felt like the organ had been ripped from his chest and replaced with an iron weight. He looked up to see the Night Fury's ears pinned to his head and his eyes scanning the route ahead.

Toothless sprinted through the forests as fast as he could without risking his human falling off. He knew that they had long lost the pursuing Vikings. There was no way that the barbarians would stay out looking for them in this weather. He knew he just had to find a large tree or a small cave to hide out for the night. Unfortunately, with the torrential rains that were coming down, he would be lucky to see three trees ahead, let alone a cavern hidden on the side of a mountain. He lunged forward and kept his eyes peeled for any makeshift camps that would work. He felt Hiccup's cold body on top of him; he had to find a place quickly or else his human could become deathly ill from the cold. Thunder sounded as he galloped over dead trees towards a cliff side. He prayed to the gods that a cave would come into view. He slowed his running so that he could keep an eye out for any potential resting spots. The gods must have been looking out for them because sure enough, a small deserted cave finally came into sight. The Night Fury sprinted into the darkness and out of the rain.

Toothless came to a sudden halt once they reached the deepest portion of the cavern. The opening was still in view, but this would suffice for the time being. He groaned up to Hiccup and motioned that the boy could step off. || We should be safe here for the night. I don't think that the Vikings would stay out in this storm. || Hiccup slowly slid off the dragons back and onto the floor. He didn't have the strength to move around and get comfortable. Toothless walked away and shook the water off of his scales. Once he felt dry enough he circled around Hiccup and laid his head down at his human's feet. Hiccup practically fell down onto the Night Fury's chest and curled into a ball shivering.

Toothless crooned to Hiccup and tried to give an apologetic look. He took his eyes from the miserable boy and started blowing a smooth fire into the rock surface below them. He unfurled his wing and wrapped around his human a little tighter, trying to provide as much heat as possible for the boy. He looked down to Hiccup who was trembling. He couldn't stand to see Hiccup in this condition. Hiccup looked up into the Night Fury's pleading eyes. His own were swollen red with tear stains rolling down his cheek. Toothless produce a soft croon as he saw his humans pain in his eyes. || I'm so sorry Hiccup. ||

The boy looked to toothless for a moment longer as a tear ran down his face. He blinked the water away and leaned into the Night Fury's heat radiating chest. He couldn't speak right now. The pain from his father's death was still too fresh in his heart. He just wanted sleep to overtake him. He just wanted to wake up and find out that this was all a horrible dream. He slowly closed his eyes and clenched them tightly as tears rolled out of them. He let out a shaky breath and pressed his cheek into Toothless' side. 'Just please let this be a dream.'

Toothless continued to watch over his human. The boy finally drifted off to sleep and his heart started to return to a normal pace. Every hour he would burn their bed below him and lay his head across Hiccup's chest, providing as much heat as possible.

The rain never quit. It even became harder as the night wore on. Toothless couldn't sleep at all through the night, plagued by both the sky and his thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder if Hiccup would forgive him for what he had done. It would kill him if Hiccup resented him for the rest of his life. Hiccup was the most important soul in his life now; he would live and die for him. He would never intentionally do something to harm Hiccup in any way. He cursed the condition of rage that took over his body back in the village.

Toothless lowered his head and burned the bed beneath them once more. Once he looked up he saw Hiccup staring right into his eyes. He stopped his movements and looked down to his human in sorrow, letting out a low croon in the process. || Hiccup, you need to believe that I didn't mean to kill him… ||

"Stop Toothless." Hiccup didn't want to think about his father right now. "Just stop. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me. It's just going to take some time for me to get over this. I don't think it's really set in yet. My body is still just in a state of shock."

Toothless blew another breath of fire onto the ground below them and pulled his tail tighter into them. Hiccup closed his eyes and soon enough he was back to sleep. Toothless hated seeing his human in this condition; he couldn't blame Hiccup if the boy hated him forever. There was nothing he could do though, he would have to wait. Time was the only thing that could heal his precious human through this situation. His heart felt like as if it were trapped in a steel cage; he was rendered completely helpless to relieve Hiccup's dire pain. He groaned softly as he dreaded his mistake; if the Night Fury could cry, a river would be cascading from his eyes.

The night finally ended with a dim light shinning onto the duos cavern. The rain outside blocked the majority of the light trying to pass through. Toothless blinked open his eyes and observed the falling water. He must have fallen asleep while watching Hiccup. If the weather outside had any indication on what their day would be like, then it was going to be a long, gloomy, dreadful day. He lowered his head to find Hiccup once again staring up at him. He couldn't say anything to the boy; he had hurt him too much already. He had to wait and let his human start conversing.

Hiccup looked up to Toothless sadly. He couldn't bring himself to speak; the previous day's events writhed within his mind. He let out a shaken breath and brought his vision to the ground below him. He couldn't stop thinking about his father. The man always seemed so heroic and admirable, but when it came to dragons, his opinion of them couldn't be changed. He was too stubborn to listen to Hiccup when he need to most. He was too oblivious to the world surrounding him. His mind was trained to only believe that dragons were mindless beasts and that they couldn't be reasoned with…. Even after all his faults, Hiccup still loved and admired the man. He was his last line to his family. He was the man that solely raised him from childhood. He was the man that Hiccup could go to if he had a nightmare in the middle of the night. His dad was never the best at being a father figure, but that wasn't by any means, due to lack of trying.

Hiccup reminisced on the days when his father would take him fishing in the small ponds on Berk. He loved to run off and track down whatever animal had been in the vicinity recently. He remembered the days that his father would tell him that one day _he_ would be the chief on Berk. He sighed as he knew that he would never fulfill that in his future. He would be lucky if he ever set foot on that island. He whimpered as he reached up to wipe away a tear from his eye. He looked back up to Toothless with his swollen eyes. "Do you think we will ever get back to Berk?"

Toothless inhaled then let out a long breath of air. It was the last thing he wanted to think about doing right now, but he had to give Hiccup hope that they could teach his tribe. || I know we will return to Berk. They will learn about the dragons and eventually will become our allies. ||

Hiccup sighed as he hoped Toothless was right. He grew uncomfortable as he squirmed within the Night Fury's grasp. "I'm sorry Toothless….. I just think that I really need to be alone right now." Toothless looked down to Hiccup feeling almost heartbroken. He didn't have a choice though, he had to let Hiccup heal on his own terms. Any resistance would only serve to strain their relationship further. Reluctantly he retracted his wings and got to his feet. He made his way over to the entrance of the cave leaving Hiccup within the depths. He turned his head back and looked down once more. || I'm really sorry Hiccup…. I don't expect you to forgive me for what I've done, all I ask, is that you stay with me…. I can't lose you Hiccup. || Before Hiccup could react, he turned and sprinted off into the pouring rain. Toothless made his way through the trees and found a large overhanging branch to rest underneath. The cave was still within sight, but Hiccup wouldn't be able to see him from the distance. He laid down on the saturated soil and gazed over to the cavern containing his human. The branch above him only kept some of the protruding rain from hitting him. The water continued to drip all over his body while he curled into a motionless black mass.

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It had only been five short days. Astrid looked out over the docks as men were unloading the crates of food and supplies from the ships. It had happened so fast. It seemed like yesterday that all of the men had just left. She couldn't believe her eyes when the men coming off of the ship all had the look of sorrow and defeat. She watched as the men exited in pairs as they headed for the great hall. Everyone was either walking with a close friend or their husband or wife. Only one man limped along alone. She had run up to him asking what happened and where Stoick was. She had received looks of disgust from the passing villagers as if she had spoken words from hell. Gobber stopped his stumbling and put a hand on Astrid's shoulder. "I'm sorry Astrid." He sighed as the words were like weights within his heart. "But we lost Stoick."

She couldn't believe what Gobber had told her. She looked over the docks and watched the men take the last of the crates off the ship. It was a large wooden box that had been nailed shut, but the men seemed to be taking extra care of it as they struggled to get it up to the village. She knew exactly who was contained in that casket. She cursed Hiccup's name for allowing this to happen to his own father. "Night Fury." She pounded her fist into the ground below her as she thought about the menacing dragon. She could almost see it in her head: tearing at the innocent villagers and using its cursed fire to burn them alive.

Gobber told her how it all happened. He was reluctant to do so, and he seemed to be hit the hardest by the loss. It was understandable. Stoick and Gobber had been lifelong friends, they were always together and whenever one of them was caught in a predicament, the other would be there to help him through it. Gobber and Stoick were the team that no one could split up. The only thing to tear them apart was death, and the cursed Night Fury had to make it true.

Astrid shook her head as she thought about what the other villagers had said. 'It was as if the gates of hell had released a vicious nightmare that attacked everything and everyone in its path.' She could picture that menacing Night Fury growling ferociously at her as it gathered its gases to fire. It filled her with anger as she thought of that threatening Night Fury flooding the chief's body with its deadly plasma. She put her hand to her head and leaned over in disgust.

"How's it going?"

Astrid whipped her head around to see Fishlegs standing innocently behind her. She sighed and lowered her vision to the ground. "Fine…..I guess." Fishlegs looked disappointed feeling that he wouldn't be able to cheer her up. "I guess you heard what happened to the chief." Astrid nodded and felt her heart drop slightly. "If Hiccup was trying to prove to us that dragons are harmless, he sure isn't showing it very well." Fishlegs shook his head wondering what Hiccup could have been thinking. He looked to Astrid. "Mind if I have a seat?" Astrid smiled to the Viking sized teenager. "Of course Fish….For being the biggest one of us, you sure try to be friendly and polite." The large boy slowly made his way over to Astrid's side and plopped down next to her. "I don't see the point in being rude. Using reason and knowledge are just as useful as using an axe or a sword." Astrid thought about his words for a moment. "So you think Hiccup is right?" Fishlegs let out a deep breath and turned his head to see the glorious looking Valkyrie. "I don't know for sure if he is right about the dragons or not, but who else has ever tried to reason with them? I give you the answer… None." Astrid shook her head. "But why would he let the Night Fury kill his own father?" Fishlegs looked back out to sea. "Maybe he didn't want the Night Fury to kill him…..I spoke to another one of the villagers that was on the island. He said that Hiccup seemed heartbroken after the dragon killed Stoick. He said that he didn't even try and fly away on the Night Fury after they left. The dragon just picked him up and darted off into the forest." Astrid cocked her head in slight disbelief. "Why didn't anyone chase after them?" Fishlegs looked back to Astrid. "The man told me that a raging storm had come during the fight. As soon as they left, rain came pouring down and made it impossible to track them."

The two sat back on their forearms and thought about what happened on Outcast Island. Astrid turned back to Fishlegs. "I still don't understand why Hiccup would even try to reason with the dragons." Fishlegs was looking slightly depressed as he watched the men carrying Stoick's casket into the Great Hall. "He was different. No one else would even consider going near a Night Fury; he's gone as far as riding one. Hiccup never really fit in with any other Viking, he always got into some kind of trouble and ended up screwing something up. I think he saw it as his first chance to prove himself. He saw that Night Fury near that pond, and he must have figured that his life couldn't get any worse by trying to befriend the dragon." Astrid looked into the large teenager's eyes that were beaming with curiosity. "I guess Hiccup never lied to us though. He really did shoot down that Night Fury. He just couldn't finish the job and kill it. I always knew he was a coward, but why didn't he just try and find someone else to kill it?" Fishlegs chuckled slightly and grinned. "Probably the same reason _we _never went to the chief when we found out about him and the Night Fury."

Astrid thought back to that dreadful day. The day this all started. It was the day that everyone found out the _real_ Hiccup and the day that the Night Fury saved him from being killed by his father. "That dragon has to be smarter than we think. It blew a hole right into the Kill Ring and risked getting himself killed just to save Hiccup. Hiccup must have something really important to that dragon, or it is just really protective of him." Fishlegs sighed and looked up into the sky. "That's what I've been trying to say all along. Dragons are clearly smarter than we think. They seem to have reason and are able to comprehend situations like us. There's something more to them that were not seeing. Hiccup has made a relationship with that Night Fury and now he knows what goes on with the dragons. He knows what the dragons think like and what they do in a high stress situation. We _need _to talk to Hiccup and find out what the dragons are like. If he could work with all dragons, then we could end this war." Astrid shook her head in disbelief. "There's no way Hiccup would dare come back here now. He knows that the minute anyone here sees him, he's dead. He already broke the Viking code and went against everything we stand for, but now he helped kill the chief. Stoick has been one of the greatest chiefs Berk has ever seen. No one will let his beliefs die without a fight."

Fishlegs looked over to Astrid and smiled sheepishly. "I guess we'll find out eventually. Someone is bound to find him, and if he is true to his word, then he is going to try and convince every village out there that dragons are harmless. I'm sure if he does convince any villages, we will be one of the first to find out."

Astrid nodded her head then turned back to the village. Gobber was limping along slowly over to the forge, looking completely dead to the world. "How's Gobber holding up?" Fishlegs looked over Astrid's shoulder and followed her line of sight to where Gobber was heading. "I think he's really torn up about the whole thing. I've never seen him so unenthusiastic and hopeless. He said that he wasn't going to participate in the dragon raids anymore. He told me that after what happened on Outcast Island, it wouldn't feel right…..I'm not sure why he wouldn't _want _to kill all the dragons left, but maybe he saw something that no one else did." Astrid turned back to Fishlegs. "What are you saying?" Fishlegs turned his vision and looked her right in the eyes. "I think Hiccup showed him the Night Fury's real side. I think he showed him the true face of the dragon."

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Hiccup ran to the entrance of the cave to stop Toothless from leaving."No. Wait!" He didn't mean for the Night Fury to leave and run out into the cold rain. All he wanted was to have some time to himself. He looked out and scanned the forest, but saw no signs of movement. He sighed then turned back to go inside the gloomy cave. "Why couldn't I have just been a normal kid? Why couldn't I have just been able to fit in with the other teens and lived a normal life?...None of this would have happened if I could have just been normal." He sat down against the cold wall of the cavern and looked down to the rock floor beneath him.

Hiccup sat in silence as tears were flowing down his face once again. His mind was racing about his father. 'Why did it have to be dad? Why couldn't he have just listened to me for once in his life? Why did he have to be so oblivious to the world around him?' He placed his head within his arms and brought his knees to his chest. The days when he thought of his father as a role model flooded back to him. 'He used to be so much more forgiving and willing to listen.' He thought of the days when he would follow the chief through the village and admire his work. The man would accomplish the smallest of tasks so perfectly that it would make a lesser man's performance pathetic in comparison. Everyone in the tribe looked up to him and loved to be around him. If Stoick was in the room, everyone wanted to be near the man. He was easily one of Berks greatest leaders and would always be remembered as one. The boy sprawled out across the ground and reminisced about his last family member. He thought about the man for hours as the rain outside continued to pour.

Hiccup watched as tear drops pelted the stone floor beneath him. "I didn't even get to say goodbye. The last thing he wanted to do was…." 'Massacre me with his sword.' He couldn't say the last part; it hurt him too much to even think about it. He couldn't believe that his own father would act so violently towards him. Towards the end, Alvin even seemed to be more of a father figure than Stoick. The Outcast chief even knew what his father was doing was wrong. Alvin showed him what a true father should act like in a time of stress. He knew he had to find Alvin's daughter and relay his message. He _wouldn't_ let the man die without his final wish being fulfilled.

Hiccup knew that he was going to have to face the villagers of Berk once again. He dreaded that day; he knew that they would be hard pressed to listen to him know that he was a part of killing the chief. He knew that everyone in that village hated him already; he couldn't imagine what they thought of him now. He wondered if he would ever be allowed back in his home village.

Hiccup slowly looked outside from off of the cold wet ground. The sun was never going to shine on this day. The persistent rain fell far too abundantly for the sun's beautiful rays to shine through. He thought of Toothless out in the cold weather. The Night Fury only had one wish for the boy: 'That you stay with me.' Hiccup got up from the ground and walked over to the edge of the cave. He peered out into the dark forest, but saw no sign of the obsidian dragon. He felt awful for making Toothless leave. The Night Fury has never wanted anything more than his attention and love. He scanned the tree line once more. "Toothless." He raised his shaken voice slightly. "Toothless! Please come back!" There was still no movement in sight. He sighed then made his way back to the back wall of the cavern, where he plopped down on the ground and turned his head to the entrance of the cave. Sure enough, two glowing acid green eyes along with the silhouette of a long slender dragon were just outside. Toothless stayed just out of the cave so Hiccup could decide if he wanted him inside or not.

"Toothless!" Hiccup jumped up from the ground and rushed over to the midnight-scaled reptile. Toothless walked just inside as Hiccup threw his arms around him. Hiccup held tight then pulled back slightly to look Toothless in the eyes. "I'm sorry bud. I didn't mean for you to leave completely…..I just wanted some time to myself so I could think." || No Hiccup. It is me that is sorry; I never should have let the Vehemence take over…It was just too hard for me to watch. That man….Your father, he was so intent on killing you. The thought of him taking the most important soul in the world from me; it was too much for me to handle. If I lost you with him bringing down that sword…..I broke my promise. ||

Hiccup cocked his head to the side slightly as he wiped his face clean of tears. "What do mean bud?" Toothless lowered his head and exhaled deeply. || The time when we fled your village….I was so close to losing you. It was too close. I made a promise to myself that day; I promised that I would never let you come so close to death. I promised that I would protect you from any threats. || Hiccup lifted the Night Fury's head so he could see into his eyes. "You were never going to be able to keep that promise Toothless. We are risking our lives every day by reaching out to these tribes and trying to change the way they think. It's impossible for you to protect me from everything. Eventually a day will come when we are in too small of a corner. All we can do is take precautions and avoid any deadly situations. You can't put yourself under that much pressure. That's more than anyone could handle." Toothless nodded slightly and ruffled Hiccup's hair as he exhaled. Hiccup gave a slight chuckle and smiled to his best friend. The Night Fury grinned slightly then gave Hiccup a long lick up the side of his face. "Oh, Toothless." He stared coldly at the now smiling dragon. He rolled his eyes and hugged the Night Fury once more. "You always know how to put me in a better mood don't you?" Toothless purred in response and started to walk over to the back of the cave once more.

Hiccup sat down in the back of the cave just slightly off the wall. Toothless circled the boy and lay down next to him; bringing his tail around just in front of them. "We really need to try and find a leather shop so I can dye your tail black….It just doesn't look right on a glorious Night Fury." Toothless fanned his only real half of his tail purred to Hiccup. || As long as it gets us in the air, I could care less what it looks like. || Hiccup chuckled softly and rested his head on the dragon's foreleg. "Well I do care, so the next village we go to, I'm going to fix that tail." Toothless unfurled his wing and wrapped it around his human. || Just don't get yourself into trouble. I've had enough of high stress situations to last a lifetime. I don't need you running off trying to get yourself killed. || Hiccup yawned and closed his eyes to finally get some decent rest.

Toothless waited until his human was sleeping soundly. He checked the entrance to the cave and saw that the rain was finally coming to an end. He sighed in relief and peered underneath his wing to gaze over his boy once again. || I will keep my promise Hiccup; whatever it takes. ||

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AN:There it is! The follow up chapter to Night Fury. What did you think? I really appreciate all the reviews all of you have been leaving. I feel like we are reaching milestones every chapter now. OVER 10,000 VIEWS! Almost 11,000 now. We also passed 100 reviews since the last chapter.  
Ive been trying to keep the story good enough to reach an average of 10 favorites per chapter, but we'll see. I am thrilled with the response that this fic has gotten already.

Please remember to Review, Favorite and Follow if you loved it!

Thank you so much!


	10. Chapter 10: Catching Lightning

AN: We are back again. Big milestone achieved! 100 Favorites! In case you don't fully understand:

|| This is Toothless speaking. ||

|{ This is any other dragon speaking. }| (Hiccup can only hear Toothless.)

Anyways, I give you:

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Truth and Reconciliation

Catching Lightning

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Morning came easier for Toothless today. The sun was already up and the rain had finally quit its down pouring. The Night Fury peered underneath his wing and watched over his young friend. Hiccup was sleeping soundly; he was lying so peacefully against the dragon's black side. Slowly, Toothless retracted his wings and nudged his human with his snout.

Hiccup brought in a breath of air as he opened his eyes. He starred up at the protective Night Fury for a moment. Toothless couldn't help but to let his chest give a resounding purr. Hiccup started scratching around the black scales on the dragon's neck. Toothless started groaning and he leaned into the boys hand as he closed his eyes. Hiccup chuckled at the Night Fury and grinned. "We leave today?"

Toothless continued purring while Hiccup was scratching his back. || Yes. Today we can finally get off this wretched island and get back to the skies….it's been too long since I've stretched these wings. || Hiccup leaned against the Night Fury's side and thought back to everything that happened on this island. All the Outcast guards that Toothless had scared the crap out of. All the times when Alvin would bang on the cells with his hammer. All the Vikings that perished because of this pointless war. "It will be good to finally get away from this place…too many memories are going to be associated with this island."

Toothless stood slowly and stretched his legs. He moved to the outside of the cave and spread his wings to the fullest extent. Hiccup watched as the Night Fury flapped his wings as if he were flying already. He walked out to the excited dragon and climbed onto the saddle. "The last time we were flying, we were shot down."

|| That won't happen again. || The dragon looked up to his rider with a stern look on his face. Hiccup nodded gently and clipped his lines onto the saddle. "Ok buddy, I trust you."

Within seconds the dragon ran forward and leapt into the air. He beat his wings powerfully several times, enough that they were propelled several hundred feet into the air. The two soared over the Outcast Village and saw that they seemed to be hard at work recovering from both the storm and the Night Fury's wrath. Toothless gave a few more beats of his wings that raised them high into the clouds.

Hiccup reached out to feel the gentle mist that came from the white clouds. He loved the feeling of the fresh cool air in his lungs. The Night Fury gathered speed as he propelled them forward, producing the infamous whistle that comes from only one type of dragon. Hiccup looked down to the Night Fury and scratched his neck. "So where are we going bud?"

Toothless purred lowly as he flew along at a gentle speed. || Probably down into the ocean if you don't stop scratching underneath my neck. || Hiccup quickly retracted his hand and placed it back on his reigns. "Oh….Sorry, but where are we going?"

Toothless forced his wings into motion to get them to their destination quickly. || Well we haven't had a decent meal in days, and there's one place that has all the cod I could ever want. || Hiccup brought his hand to his face as he knew what the Night Fury was thinking about. "Were going all the way back to Hidra just so you can get some food?" Toothless let out a low rumble. || Unless you plan on finding a fishing stick and using it all day. || "It's called a fishing _pole_. Anyway, I guess it would be good to let them know about Berk and Outcast Island since they are fairly close to each other." || You can tell yourself whatever you need to, but I'm going for fish. || Hiccup shook his head at the persistent Night Fury. "Well don't eat everything they have or we'll never be allowed back on their island."

The two raced across the sky at magnificent speeds and approached the island quickly. The villagers of Hidra listened closely as they heard the familiar sound of the black reptile. Gunnar looked over to his father who was tending to his Nightmare. "Night Fury!" Gunnar was ecstatic to have the team return so quickly and he ran over to where they would always land next to the town hall. Several other villagers gathered around as Hiccup and Toothless came in for landing. Once the Night Fury came into view everyone started shouting in joy.

Hiccup grinned as they heard the villager's excitement. "Hear that bud? They really did like what we did here." Toothless fell into a speeding dive that enhanced the whistle that came from his wings. He opened his wings fully at the last possible moment, so that everyone was blasted with a wave of air as they landed. Hiccup was laughing quietly as he stepped off of Toothless and down to Gunnar. The chief's son ran up to Hiccup and gave him a tight hug. "You're back!...And so soon. What happened?" Hiccup brushed his hair from his face that had gotten messy from the landing. "Well it's kind of a long story actually."

|| Fish! || Toothless made his way through the crowd and over to the entrance to the town hall. Gunnar looked at Hiccup, baffled. "Does he want some food?" Hiccup brought his hand down his face in embarrassment. "Yes….We kind of haven't had any real food since we left here. He is just being rude and obnoxious!" Toothless turned his head toward Hiccup trying to look innocent as he waited patiently at the door. Hiccup had shouted the last few words so Toothless could clearly hear him. Vilhehn came walking up laughing. "Well let's get you two some grub. I can't have you guys starving while you're on _my_ island." Hiccup blushed slightly and the three of them along with their dragons all made their way into the town hall.

Once inside, Toothless made it straight over to the awaiting barrels of Icelandic cod and buried his face in them. || Finally, something fresh and tasteful. || Hiccup retrieved some cooked fish and walked over to an open area in the room and sat down on the floor. Gunnar, along with Hellfire, sat down next to him leaving enough space so Toothless could circle around Hiccup once he was finished devouring the cod. "So Hiccup, what happened over the past week?"

Hiccup sighed as he thought about his eventful time away. "It wasn't exactly an easy tribe to deal with, that's for sure." Toothless finished his fill of fish and came to be with his human; circling his tail around the boy protectively. Hiccup looked over into the Night Fury's eyes and contemplated on telling Gunnar. "It was Outcast Island." His voice was filled with regret and sorrow.

The surrounding tables all went silent and turned to listen to what the boy had to say. Gunnar had an awestruck look on his face. "You mean _the_ Outcast Island?" Hiccup turned his head over to Gunnar and gave a slight nod. "We were captured; they threatened to kill both of us, they almost _did_ kill us." Gunnar shook his head in disbelief. "I thought I told you to stay out of trouble and to not bother with villages that won't be willing to adapt."Hiccup lowered his head as he thought of Alvin and his father. "We weren't there by choice. We were trapped within their prison for most of the past week."

Toothless let out a low rumble to the boy that was leaning on him. || You need to eat your food Hiccup. || The boy turned his attention back to the Night Fury. "I'm not really hungry anymore."

Gunnar noticed that something terrible must have happened on Outcast Island. "Hiccup, you need to eat. You look even skinnier than last time you were here. We don't need to talk about what happened over there if it hurts that much, but you need to eat." Gunnar stood and started to walk away. "Come on Hellfire, they need to be left alone to eat in peace." The Nightmare stood but looked to Toothless for an answer. The Night Fury just gave a nod and motioned for him to leave; the deep red dragon obliged.

|| It's ok Hiccup. You don't need to be thinking about that island right now. All you need to do is focus on getting back to good health; starting by feeding yourself. || Hiccup sighed and took another bite of his fish. He knew that trying to argue with a Night Fury would most likely not end well. He ate quietly until the plate was empty then he leaned back against the comforting dragon.

After about an hour, Gunnar walked back over to Hiccup and Toothless. The Night Fury had covered the boy with his wing so no one could see his human shedding tears. "Hey Toothless, how's he doing?" The Night Fury peered down his chest to see Hiccup wiping away some tears from his face. He looked back up to Gunnar and shook his head slowly. Gunnar sighed but didn't want Hiccup to feel embarrassed or self-conscious. "Ok….I'll see you later Toothless….I hope everything is ok with him."

"Wait!" Hiccups voice sounded from behind the obsidian wing. Toothless peered underneath his wing once more to see Hiccup motioning for him to remove the cover. || Are you sure Hiccup? || His human gave a gentle nod and wiped away one last tear. "It's ok." The Night Fury proceeded to fold his wing against his side then turn his head to Gunnar. Hiccup gave a small smile as he looked up to the chief's son from next to the slate covered dragon. "I'm sorry. It's just a little hard to think about what happened over there."

Gunnar shook his head as he walked over to sit down. "That's fine Hiccup, you don't need to tell us; especially if it's _that _hard on you." Hiccup stared down to the floor beneath him. "No. You need to know. You deserve to know."

Hiccup breathed in deeply as he prepared to reiterate his past. "It all started as we approached the island. One of the guards must have spotted us and they shot us down with a bola. We were held captive within the prison block for a few days until Alvin tried to get me to train his captured dragons." Gunnar spoke up at the mention of the Outcast chief. "You mean Alvin the Treacherous?" Hiccup nodded to the boy. "That's the one. He took me from the prison cell and into his arena. I managed to avoid training their Nadder, but I was knocked out in the process. When I woke up, Toothless had managed to frighten the guards enough to put me in his cell."

Gunnar looked up to the grinning Night Fury. "He does have the ability to scare the living crap out of you." Toothless gave a vicious sounding growl which frightened all of the surrounding villagers that weren't paying attention. Gunnar laughed at the Vikings giving them cold looks now. "Like I said, scares the crap out of you."

Hiccup chuckled then went back to his story. "Well anyway, Alvin had messaged my father about me and Toothless being captured, so he showed up to kill us both." Gunnar couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Your father came to kill you?"

Apparently Gunnar had spoken slightly too loud as Vilhehn and a few other villagers were now listening in. Hiccup nodded to Gunnar and sighed. "But before my father was going to do it, Alvin came to talk to us….He came alone and told us about how he became an Outcast." Vilhehn spoke up with distaste for the man. "So he told you about he killed his family and many of his tribe?" Hiccup shook his head. "No, not at all. He didn't kill his family." The villagers were all listening in closely now. "His son was killed by a Monstrous Nightmare, and his wife was killed by….." He turned his head up to the guilty dragon. "Toothless."

The Night Fury wrapped his tail around his human and pulled him close, keeping an eye out just in case some of the villagers were to become enraged. Hiccup scratched the dragon on his back to try and relax the tense reptile. "It's ok Toothless." The dragon exhaled slowly and produced a low rumble as the boy scratched behind his wing. Hiccup turned back to the awaiting crowd. "Alvin told me to leave. He said that we need to leave before my father got the chance to kill us." Gunnar couldn't understand why a father would do such a thing. "What was your father so upset about?"

Hiccup leaned against the reverberating dragon behind him as he felt the weight of the conversation bearing down. "He couldn't believe that dragons could be reasoned with…. He wouldn't." He looked up to Toothless with pleading eyes.

|| We can go. You don't need to tell them the whole story at once. It's ok. || Toothless raised himself up and motioned for Hiccup to get on his back. Gunnar had a puzzled look, but he realized what Toothless was doing. He understood that this must have been too hard on Hiccup so soon after the events. "You should get some rest Hiccup. Well catch up on this tomorrow once you're feeling a little better." Hiccup gave a thankful nod to Gunnar and slid on the back of the Night Fury. The two made their way out of the town hall and shot into the sky.

Hiccup clicked the tailfin into position as needed, but didn't have the strength to do much else. He may not have had a very eventful day or even a very long one, but he was ready to sleep. He needed to sleep.

The two soared along as the sun was setting; flying to the place they called their first home together. Toothless flew over the island to see if anything had changed over the past week and to check for any threats. Once he was satisfied he glided down to the old campfire that still stood.

Once they landed Hiccup slid off the dragons back and proceeded to unfasten the saddle. "I'm sorry we didn't take this off earlier, you must have been really aching with this on all week." Toothless crooned to his human in appreciation. || It didn't feel right complaining about something so trivial when you had just lost your last family member. || Hiccup removed the saddle and sighed as he noticed the rough marks on the midnight scale of the dragon. "We still should have taken it off. It might take a week for this to heal now." Toothless purred to the boy and placed his head under his hand. || I'll get over it. ||

Hiccup smiled to the Night Fury and rubbed behind his ear. "I'll go get some wood for the fire." Hiccup walked the edge of the tree line and grabbed whatever branches he could handle. There was a presence around him. He could have sworn someone was watching them from within the forest. He shrugged it off as being cool breeze coming past. Once he got back to the campfire he arranged the wood neatly and nodded for Toothless to light it.

Hiccup grinned as the warmth form the fire engulfed his body. He lay back against the obsidian dragon and looked up into his eyes. The Night Fury was scanning the forest as if he too had felt the presence. || Hiccup, I want you to get under my wing. || Hiccup grew slightly nervous and looked out into the dark forest. "What is it Toothless? What's wrong?"

Toothless unfurled his wing and used it to pull Hiccup close to his side. || There's a dragon watching us. I want you to stay concealed under my wing. || He scanned the forest and looked into the trees as far as he could see. || Come out Skrill! I know you're out there. || Hiccup curled up against the dragon's side and leaned into his chest.

|{ Still have the sharpest eyes of them all, don't you Night Fury. }|

|| You would never be able to sneak up on me. I know your tactics all too well. ||

Slowly the outline of a small Skrill came into view at the edge of the tree line. |{ It's no wonder why they always chose you to lead the raids. }|

Toothless narrowed his eyes at the approaching dragon. || That's far enough Skrill. You don't want this to end up like last time do you?" ||

|{ I remember you cheating last time by hiding out in the forest. }|

The Night Fury shook his head and glanced down at his human.

|{ I saw your human Night Fury. I saw you at the other island as well. That storm was too electrifying for me not to take part. }|

Toothless lifted his wing to reveal his human beneath. || If you lay one claw on him…. I will rip your heart out tear your lifeless body to shreds. ||

The Skrill bowed his head and chuckled slightly. |{ Relax Night Fury, or should I say Toothless? }|

The Night Fury growled slightly at the Skrill that was testing his patience. || You may not. ||

The Skrill lay down across form the pair and bowed his head. |{ I understand Night Fury. You don't need to worry about me hurting your precious little human. I'm just here to ask one question…..Why? }|

Toothless looked down to his baffled human. || I used to fly with this dragon. He is the heir of my guardian. || Hiccup tuned to the Skrill and looked over the dragon, its scales ranging from from a deep purple to sapphire. "So his guardian was your mother?" The Skrill nodded and rest his head on the ground.

|| He was born about five winters before me. By the time she passed, he had already gone out on his own. || Hiccup rested his head on the Night Fury's foreleg so he could finally get some sleep. "Well you're welcome to stay with us since you're basically Toothless' brother." The Night Fury purred to his human and wrapped his wing back around the boy. || Just get some rest Hiccup. Everyone is going to want to speak with you again tomorrow. || The boy nodded and closed his eyes. The soothing reverberations coming from the obsidian dragon relaxed the boy enough so he could fall asleep in moments.

|{ The boy is important to you I see. }|

The Night Fury watched over his human until he was sure the boy was asleep, He removed his gaze from Hiccup and sighed as he looked over to the Skrill. || He means more than anything to me. ||

The Skrill rested his head on his paws and shifted himself into a comfortable position to sleep for the night. |{ What made _him_ so special? }|

Toothless thought back to the day he was caught. The day someone managed to down the mighty Night Fury. The day everything in this world changed for him. || He had the chance to kill me; he could have taken my life and become the idol of his tribe. His name would have been famous for what he did, but he didn't….He took his dagger and cut me loose. He threw away his family and his home to become friends with me. He even fixed the tail he destroyed. He was willing to give up his whole life so that he could be with me…..That caring, that love; it was like nothing I've ever felt... As soon as he placed his hand upon my snout, my heart was taken. ||

The Skrill sat in silence as he pondered about the Night Fury. |{ So, is this it? }|

Toothless cocked his head to the side as he questioned the violet dragon. || The destiny? || The Skrill nodded approvingly. Toothless looked down to his chest where Hiccup was sleeping soundly. || Every Night Fury has to do something extraordinary: three Night Furies way back when united the dragons to survive the ice age, two Night Furies back joined the land and sea dragons, the most recent Night Fury stopped the most deadly civil war dragons have ever seen. Now, I have to stop the war between one of the most powerful enemies we have ever faced. || Toothless turned to look back at the Skrill. || Ever since I bonded with Hiccup, I knew that this was my purpose. || He looked back down at his human and crooned softly. || I just wish that it wasn't such a danger for Hiccup. If he were to die, I wouldn't survive; it would be too much for me to lose. ||

The Skrill let out a long breath as he took in the Night Fury's attachment to the small boy. |{ I'll help you Night Fury. Like the boy said; you're like a brother to me. }| Toothless nodded graciously to the violet dragon and laid his head inside his wing to watch over his human.

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Toothless was the first to wake in the morning. He brought his head up and gazed over the open ocean. The sun was shining perfectly today; not a cloud in the sky. The Night Fury retracted his wing and nudged his human gently with his snout. || Hiccup, it's time to wake up. The village will be expecting you. || Hiccup groaned form the sudden light and rolled back into the Night Fury. "Just five more minutes." Toothless grinned and looked over to slowly awakening Skrill. The dragon slowly built up an electrical charge as he stretched then shot it to the forest. Toothless chuckled slightly at the voltage buzzing around the Skrill. || I remember making the mistake of waking mother as she did that. || The Skrill grinned and shook his head. |{ Skrills got to get rid of the electricity somehow. Can't have it build up too much, can we? }| Toothless had a small smile across his face as he looked back down to his human. The boy was still curled up against his chest as he tried to get a few more moments of rest.

Toothless narrowed his eyes mischievously towards the approaching Skrill. The Night Fury designated the Skrill towards Hiccup with his snout. The violet dragon closed his eyes and slowly let out a small bolt of lightning towards Hiccups body. The boy shifted slightly as he felt an annoyance on his side. He tried to swat it away as he struggled to sleep. The Skrill let a little more juice flow through the bolt causing Hiccup's hair to stand on end. "What is that buzzing?" The boy continued to wave his hand around the area of contact. Toothless nodded to the Skrill telling him to let a little more flow.

The Skrill added another wave of power to the bolt that was flowing. Hiccup sprang off of the Night Fury and rushed over to the grass as he felt the power surge through him. "What the heck was that!?" He glared over to the two dragons that were rolling on the ground in laughter. Toothless swatted his tail against the ground as he struggled to hold in the laughter. || Your hair! It's standing straight up! || Hiccup rolled his eyes and tried to massage his hair down. "Laugh it up guys; I'll get you back." The Skrill struggled to breathe as he rolled across the grass. |{ I'm real scared now. }|He continued to laugh as the boy came back over to the Night Fury. || Its ok Hiccup. It happens to everyone. Trust me. I lived with two of them. || Hiccup sighed as he sat down against the Night Fury once again. "I can tell already that having _him _around is going to be a walk in the park."

The Skrill finally settled down and rested across the campfire from Hiccup and Toothless. |{ So, what do we do now? }| Toothless looked back down to Hiccup. || You ready to go? || Hiccup nodded and stood to go find the saddle he had cast away. Toothless turned his head to the Skrill as he allowed Hiccup to reattach the linkage for his tail. || We are going back to Hidra. It's not too far from here and you will be able to meet their tribe. We have already made peace with them and now they are allies to the dragons. || The Skrill stood and walked over to where Toothless and Hiccup were gearing up. |{ Sounds good, but no one is riding me. I'm not as accustomed to humans as you and some of the other species are. }| Toothless nodded and lowered himself to allow Hiccup on his back.

Once the three were in the air they flew directly to Hidra. They had to fly at a slightly slower pace considering that the Skrill didn't have the capability that a Night Fury had. Once they were within sight Toothless gained some speed so that the whistle that came from his wings could be heard.

The villagers looked to the sky to see Hiccup and Toothless coming in to land. They were surprised when a Skrill came in to land next to them. Hiccup slid off the Night Fury's back and started to introduce the Skrill to the locals. "This is our friend. He is actually a half-brother to Toothless and he is tagging along with us." Gunnar walked up to Hiccup slightly confused. "I thought that you said Toothless didn't have any family." Hiccup nodded and scratched the Night Fury behind the ear. "He doesn't, technically. The Skrill's mother is the same dragon that raised Toothless from when he was born." The crowd nodded and looked over the violet and cobalt dragon before them. Gunnar stepped towards the Skrill and reached out his hand. "Is he friendly?" The Skrill stepped back slightly and flared his spikes. Gunnar slowed his movement and crept closer to the new dragon. "It's ok; I'm not going to hurt you. Just want to be friends." The Skrill narrowed his eyes and slowly approached Gunnar. He glanced over to Toothless who gave him an approving nod. The violet dragon let out a long breath and closed the gap between him the boys hand. Gunnar jolted slightly as he came into contact with the Skrill, but he stilled himself immediately. The crowd watched in awe as an electric pulse surrounded the two beings. Gunnar stared wide-eyed at the Skrill as it backed away. "Wow! That was _not_ like a normal dragon."

A smaller girl came running up to the group that was stunned by the Skrill. She was slightly shorter than Hiccup, but about the age of thirteen. "That's incredible! What kind of dragon is he?" Hiccup looked over the girl and remembered that she had not been able to bond with any of the dragons the week prior. She tried harder than everyone to learn about the dragons, but none of them seemed to connect with her. "He's a Skrill. He is a part of the Sharp class and as you can see, is electrical."

The Skrill looked over to Toothless as he noticed the girl walk forward. |{ Who is that? }| Toothless looked away from Hiccup and over to the violet dragon. || I think the humans called her Emilie. She had trouble bonding with the dragons before. We never found a match for her. || The Skrill looked over the girl. There was something different about her. He felt like she stuck out more than any of the others. |{ She's mine. }|The Skrill slowly came up behind Hiccup as he was talking to the girl. He reached his head over to the girl so he could get the scent that came off of Emilie. He lowered his head and motioned for her to place her hand on his snout. Emilie was stunned by the Skrill acting so strange towards her. She swallowed her nervousness and reached out her hand so it was inches from the Skrill. The violet dragon closed his eyes and pushed his snout into her hand. He could feel her heart beating in perfect sync with his. He felt the emotion of curiosity and fear coming from the girl. He could tell that she was just as interested about him as he was about her.

Hiccup and Toothless watched as the Skrill and Emile were being surrounded by the active lightning. Hiccup was amazed how perfect they seemed together. Emilie sighed and tried to catch her breath as the Skrill pulled away. "He's perfect. This is the dragon I've been waiting for. Does he have a rider already?" Hiccup grinned and leaned back against Toothless. "He does now."

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AN: New characters! I'll try not to give anything away, but these two will become more important later on in the story. Hopefully everyone liked it. Tell me what you think with that review button.

If you loved this story, please remember to hit that Favorite/ Follow.

Also, for those of you who haven't noticed, I have published a 'sub-story' to this one and i would love for you to read that one and review it as well. Its called 'The Whole Truth' and here is the link: s/9529581/1/The-Whole-Truth Thanks, and let me know what you think!

Thank you for viewing!


	11. Chapter 11: Grant of Thirteen

AN: We're back! Your next installment of Truth and Reconciliation...

I give you:

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Truth and Reconciliation

Grant of Thirteen

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Emilie was thrilled that she had finally found a dragon that suited her just as much as she suited him. They couldn't break eye contact with each other; the only thing separating them was vocal communication. Even without words, they still knew that they were meant for each other. She gently stroked the side of the Skrill as she gazed into his eyes. "What should I name him?"

The Skrill turned to the Night Fury slightly baffled. |{ Do humans think every living creature needs a name? }| Toothless took his gaze from the Skrill and onto Hiccup. || Only when they become attached to one another. I probably never would have chosen the name 'Toothless', but Hiccup gave me that name. He is the one I care for; the name means more than just a title. I know he can always call upon me with that reference to my being, and I will be at his side in an instant. You will understand here shortly. ||

The Skrill nodded then returned his attention back to Emilie. |{ So be it. }|

Emilie looked to the Skrill thoughtfully. "What could be your name?" She gently rubbed the sapphire scales on the side of the dragons face. The small bolts of lightning stretched between her hand and the scales as she pulled her hand away. "How about Bolt?" The Skrill gave a low growl to the name in distaste. "Hmmm….No. Well how about Charge?" The Skrill eyed her in question as he wasn't very keen on that name either. She placed her hand on the scales and moved it back and forth from his side, watching the electricity flail from his body. "I know….Static." The Skrill purred to his human and let some of his shocks bridge the gap between them.

Hiccup watched in awe as the two were bonded. He wondered if his own bonding with Toothless was as powerful. Emilie slowly turned her gaze over to him with a pleading face. Hiccup chuckled and started to get aboard Toothless knowing exactly what she desired. The girl smiled knowing that her plea was going to be fulfilled and turned towards Static. "Would you mind if I was your rider?" The Skrill purred deeply and gave a shallow nod to the girl. She grinned happily and jumped onto the Skrill's short neck.

Hiccup clicked his heel into his stirrup and attached his safety lines to prepare for flight. "Ready bud?" Toothless looked back to his rider with slits for eyes. || You're doubting me again. || The Night Fury lowered himself slightly and then launched into the air. Gunnar chuckled to himself as he watched the obsidian dragon soar into the clouds above at an incredible speed. "Haha…The only dragon capable of a vertical launch." The Skrill turned his head towards him then snorted; he then confirmed his presumption by taking two steps forward and leaping into the air. Gunnar shook his head as he walked over to Hellfire so he could join them. "Exactly."

The group flew for hours on end as they enjoyed the perfect day. With not a cloud in sight, they could see for miles while they performed their aerial stunts. Hiccup and Toothless bolted across the sky leaving everyone else far behind. Gunnar and Emilie watched in envy as the Night Fury broke the sound barrier while hurtling towards the ocean at full speed. Toothless opened his wings at the last possible moment causing a massive rupture in the sea below him.

The Night Fury and his rider soon rejoined Gunnar and Emilie high above the sea as they gently flew back to Hidra. Hiccup scratched Toothless behind the ear, causing the pushover of a reptile to let out a resounding purr. Hellfire turned his head and looked up to Gunnar expectantly. The boy sighed as he reluctantly started kneading at the Nightmare's scales. "You know you spoil that Night Fury of yours, and now Hellfire expects me to do the same to him."

|| You have no idea what you're missing. || Hiccup chuckled as he continued to please his friend. "Well, if he has to put up with and carry me around all day, the least I can do is scratch behind his ears." || And around my wings. || Hiccup paused and looked down to the obsidian dragon. "Don't get all used to this now; I won't do this for you all the time." Toothless looked over to where the Skrill and the Nightmare were soaring. || He does it all the time, and you'll never know the delight of his magical hands. || The Nightmare let out a soft moan of jealousy at the Night Fury.

Hiccup rolled his eyes as the other laughed about the Nightmare's jealousy. They approached the island and headed straight into the town hall for some dinner. Toothless, once again, knew exactly where the buckets of fresh cod were located. Once he had his fill, he made his way over to Hiccup and circled his tail around the boy.

After finishing their food and resting upon their dragon's sides, Gunnar broke the silence. "So, I know you may not want to talk about it, but what happened on Outcast Island?" The nearby tables grew silent as they looked cautiously over their shoulder. Hiccup sighed, knowing that he had it coming. "Well, when I left off I had told you that Alvin was a good man right?" Gunnar gave a slow nod. "Well after he left, we made a break for it. It was easy for Toothless to blast the lock on the cell door; we just weren't ready to try until then. As soon as we broke out of the prison, we had to go to war. Toothless had to fight off all of the Outcast soldiers so we could make a safe getaway." He paused as he prepared to relay the next portion of the story. "We didn't make it out safely, though…Alvin charged Toothless; he had to, otherwise he would have lost his reputation with his village. When he charged him though, Toothless had no choice but to swat him along with the other men away with his tail."

Hiccup looked over to his Night Fury as he mourned of his lost friend. Toothless nodded to Hiccup trying to encourage him to finish. "Alvin landed on a spear….. It punctured his lung and eventually after a few moments of suffering, was the death of him."

The hall was silent as they listened in on the story being foretold. The men saw the protective nature of the Night Fury as he encased his human with his tail. Seeing the slight movement reminded all present how dangerous the black dragon was. It was no wonder that Alvin had ended the way he did.

Hiccup let out a deep breath as he brought his gaze up from the floor beneath him. "It didn't stop there. My father's Vikings, well, Chief Stoick and his Vikings assaulted us; they managed to capture Toothless and me. When Stoick came to kill us, Toothless went into a state of rage." He looked back down and leaned against the warm body of the Night Fury. Toothless unfurled his wing and wrapped it around the boy's body, blanketing everything below his chin in black. Hiccup took a few long deep breaths to help calm his emotions. "When he broke loose of the Vikings hold, he killed all in his path;" Hiccup paused again and closed his eyes. "Including Stoick the Vast."

The crowd began to whisper to one another. Several of the conversations could be overheard by Gunnar as well as Hiccup. "Should we trust the Night Fury?" "Should we trust any of the dragons?" "What if they were to turn on us and threaten to kill all of us?"

Gunnar shook his head in disgust for the villager's brash comments. "Enough!" The room immediately went silent. Vilhehn stepped forward to assure the Vikings. "The dragons are no longer threats. We have nothing to fear from them; the only reason this has happened with Hiccup is because the Night Fury was _protecting _him. That Night Fury would never harm any one of us. I know this; I saw into his emotions that day we met. He would do anything to save Hiccup, but he would never turn on any of us." Vilhehn paused while the others in the room discussed the chiefs reasoning. Vilhehn was growing impatient. "Do we have an understanding?" The men nodded in response. Their chief was a brave and knowledge able man. He had never led them down an unsuccessful path before. They had no reason to doubt him now.

Vilhehn turned back to Hiccup as he was getting up to leave for the night. "Hiccup, you don't need to leave you know. You're welcome to stay here; we have plenty of room for you and your Night Fury." He was nervous about Hiccup leaving on his own again, even if it was just for the night. Hiccup looked up to the man as he walked beside Toothless towards the door. "Thank you Vilhehn, but I think we just need some time to ourselves. We appreciate the offer though." Vilhehn sighed as the two began for the door again. "Just be careful Hiccup; we will always be here for you both." Hiccup opened the door and allowed Toothless to walk outside. "Thank you, and I know you will be." He turned back and walked out to climb aboard the Night Fury.

Once in the air Hiccup finally felt that he had room to breathe. "I'm sorry Toothless; it's still just hard for me to believe that he's gone." Toothless crooned to his human as he beat his wings to propel them forward. || Hiccup, there is nothing for you to be sorry about. I am going to be there for you for the rest of your life, whether you want me to or not. You're my life now; there is nothing more that I want than to be the one to comfort you when you're in time of need. No one is going to stop me from protecting you Hiccup…. No one. ||

Hiccup grinned to the black mass below him. He was starting to get used to being with _just _Toothless. The dragon _was _his family now. He no longer wished to be accepted by his old tribe; he wasn't worried whether or not he would show up one day at the Great Hall, and beaten senseless just because he was _Hiccup the Useless. _Hiccup had a life that mattered now; not one that just important to himself, but one that was important to others, one that was cherished by his best friend. He could never have stayed mad at Toothless for what he did; the dragon cared more for him than he did for himself. He would never intentionally do something to harm him. He started to scratch the black scales behind the Night Fury's ears. "You know bud, I couldn't ask for any more than what you have given me. If it wasn't for you, my life would still be a wreck, and I would still be miserable."

Toothless purred as Hiccup was using his wonderful hands to massage his neck. They approached their island and Toothless angled his wings for them to land. They flew just over their campfire and landed gently on the grass just in time to see the sun fade off into the distance.

Just as they landed they witnessed an abnormally large group of dragons soaring off to the north towards Berk and Dragon Island. || They must be heading towards the Queen. She must have called them in for a raid. || Hiccup sighed as he stepped off of the Night Fury and onto the grassy surface. Just as he got to the ground he started to release the straps that held the saddle onto Toothless. One of the leather straps broke as he was undoing the buckle. "Great! Now I have to figure out a way to fix this just to make it back to Hidra." Toothless turned his head to examine the damage and he noticed that it wasn't their only problem. The ropes connecting Hiccup's stirrup to the prosthetic tail were frayed, far beyond repair. || Looks like well be here a little longer than we expected. I don't think that rope is going to last long enough for another trip back. ||

Hiccup started laughing from the damage to the saddle. "Well, if there's one person that I would want to be stuck on a deserted island with; it's you." The Night Fury sat back on his hind legs and gave Hiccup his trademark Toothless smile.

The two shared a short laughter then looked back to see the group of dragons crest the horizon just as the sun finished setting. Hiccup smiled as he looked around their island. "So all those dragons know nothing of being free, and living a normal life?" Toothless let out a long breath and blew a quick blast of plasma in to the fire; igniting it for the night ahead. || They all used to have a normal life. They had families and lives before they fell under the queen's control. Once they fly into her range, her mind takes over and pushes all of their memories and will to the side. She covers their old life with something new and dreadful; they can't remember what they had before because they are too focused on pleasing the queen. ||

Hiccup sat down next to Toothless and threw his fists into the ground. "I can't believe that she can live with herself knowing that she is destroying the lives of everyone around her. If it wasn't for her, we probably never would have had this war in the first place." He shook his head in anger and laid back against Toothless. "We _have _to find a way to stop her." Toothless sighed and looked over to his human desperate that he could stop the queen's wrath. || She is too powerful. We would need an army of a hundred dragons to even attempt to take her down. That is, if we could lure her from her from the volcano she resides in. ||

Hiccup grew more and more frustrated as he thought about the queen and what she has done to everyone around her. "We _have _to stop this; there is no way around it. The raids have been getting worse every year. We lost over half of our food supply the night I shot you down. If Berk were to take another hit like that before winter, all hope would be lost. There would be no plausible way for them to survive the winter. nothing short of a miracle would save them." Toothless nodded to his human, understanding the pain that she was causing. || We need more time to prepare. Winter is going to be here in just a few more weeks. It's crazy to think we could take her out before the ice sets in. || Hiccup sat in silence for a few moments as he thought about what Toothless had said. "Crazy…..I think that's what we need. Just a little more…..Crazy."

Toothless shook his head and chuckled slightly. || If anyone would be the one to do it, it would be us. || Hiccup reached over and started to scratch around the obsidian scales of the dragon's wing. "I know we can do it Toothless. We convinced the village of Hidra, we even convinced the chief of Outcast Island. If we can get Berk and maybe one more village to join sides, we could take her down. All of those dragons could be free to go back to their families and loved ones." Toothless let out a resounding purr as he leaned into Hiccup's scratches. || I think that you're going to need to start working on your strength before we attempt to take down the queen. Trust me; she is worse than anything you could imagine. || Hiccup scoffed at the Night Fury and lay down to get some rest. "Great; now _you're _even telling me I'm weak and scrawny." Toothless reached his head over and gave Hiccup a long lick to the face. || You're getting stronger though. When you first freed me form that bola, you were no more than skin and bones. At least now you can manage the strenuous aerobatics that we do; before you would wimp out after no more than an hour or two. ||

Hiccup yawned as he got comfortable against the Night Fury's heat radiating chest. "Great, just what I need: dragon pity." Toothless grinned as he looked down to his human. || For now, just get some rest. || He unfurled his wing and brought it over the boy. || We can start practicing tomorrow while you search for some pieces to fix my tail. ||Hiccup rolled his eyes then shifted slightly before falling asleep. Within minutes the boy was sleeping soundly with deep even breaths. Toothless peered across the land and saw that they were alone and in peace. He tucked his head underneath his wing and rested it just next to Hiccup's.

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Hiccup slowly came back to consciousness as he finished his long slumber. He reached out and stroked the underside of the Night Fury's wing to let the dragon know he was awake. Toothless slowly pulled the wing back to his side and grinned as he looked down to Hiccup. || Sleep well? || Hiccup yawned and stretched his tense muscles. "Perfectly." As he lifted his arms a piece of parchment fell from his chest. "What is this bud?" He lifted it to see that it was a letter intended for him. "How did this get here?" Toothless looked around to see if there was any signs of humans residing nearby. || There's no way they could have gotten to you while I was here. I would have woken for sure. || Hiccup glanced over the letter quickly. "Well, ever who left it must be from a wealthy family. This paper is like nothing I have ever held." || What does it say? || Hiccup looked over the letter then started to read it aloud.

_Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third,_

_I am pleased to see that you have taken my gift to you with seriousness. You have chosen to stay with the Night Fury even through a time of immense hardship. You and your Night Fury will play a major role in the lives of everyone around you. You both are honorable beings and should be treated as such. The two of you are going to experience far more difficult tasks in the future and you will need to prepare for them._

_You and your Night Fury shall be granted with the Thirteen Treasures of the North. These treasures will greatly be of assistance towards your aspiration. Some of the treasures have already been presented to you; some of them will come as you progress with your destiny. You must take each one of these with pride and sincerity. These are vital for the two of you to fulfill your purposes within your world. I expect you to use them with honor and respect. You may not use them for vengeance or retribution. These are not to be taken carelessly; you will need each and every one of these treasures to complete your reconciliation with the humans. Below you will see the treasures you have already gained; once you retrieve the others, they will appear on this list._

_1. You have been granted the ability of communication with the Night Fury._

_2. You have gained an essential ally of electrical energy._

_3. You have been given the Tail of Velocity to equip your Night Fury._

_4. You have received the weapon 'White Hilt'._

_5. You shall wear the Coat of Slate._

_6._

_7._

_8._

_9._

_10.  
_

_11._

_12._

_13._

_Hiccup, this list will be filled as you complete various responsibilities throughout your lives. Take these treasures and use them maturely. The Night Fury's destiny as well as yours will depend on it. _

_Good luck to the both of you._

Hiccup stared down at the list completely confused. "I don't understand. I think that the god that I had met before wrote this; which explains why this letter got here without you noticing." He looked up to Toothless as he spoke. "What do you think bud?" Toothless recalled the list that was read aloud. || I think he wants you to take these gifts to help with our destiny. ||

Toothless scanned the field before them and caught sight a small stack of loose articles off in the distance. He gestured to them as he spoke. || Well, for starters, _those_ were not there a few minutes ago. ||

Hiccup raised himself up and started to walk over to the pile of unknown items. He picked up the jet black trench coat that was sprawled out across the ground. "Wow! This is almost identical to your hide Toothless!" The Night Fury stepped forward and took in the scent of the unknown material. || It smells….like me. || He rubbed the side of his face against the coat. || It has the same texture as my scales and…..Spread it out again, I want to see something. || Hiccup slowly stretched the coat out trying to figure out what the dragon was implying. Toothless let out a small stream of plasma, which ran across the coat's surface. || It's fireproof! ||Hiccup started in awe as the last of the Night Fury's plasma dripped to the ground. "That's amazing. It doesn't feel like any clothing I have ever felt before. It's extremely lightweight, but feels strong and resilient." || Well, if it can keep a dragon's flame from getting to you, then I would say that it should be plenty durable. || Hiccup threw the coat around his shoulders and pushed his hands through the sleeves. "It fits…..Perfect. I've never had any clothes that fit me precisely."

Toothless turned his head back down to the pile of treasures as Hiccup admired his new attire. || I think this one is for me. || Toothless dug his nose into the obsidian fin that was lying in the grass. Hiccup looked down to where Toothless was penetrating his snout. "Wow! Look at this! It looks like a perfect match to your other tail fin." Hiccup lifted the prosthetic and spread it open and closed. "It works so flawlessly. There's even a black saddle to match!" Hiccup rushed over to the saddle and picked it up to show Toothless. "It looks incredible! There are even the slight grey spots spread across it to match your hide. I got to see these on you!" Hiccup grabbed the two pieces and ran over to the Night Fury's side. Toothless turned his head to watch just as Hiccup threw the saddle over his back.

Hiccup made quick work of strapping the saddle and fin into place. He looked over the saddle in amazement. The faint grey lines that crossed the Night Fury's back matched perfectly with the saddle. It was as if the saddle wasn't even there. Toothless spread his working tailfin to match the prosthetic. There was virtually no gap between the fake fin and his tail; it looked as if it were a perfect replica of his real one. || It feels as if it's not even there. The lines continuing up to the saddle are also weightless. || Hiccup clicked the stirrup through a few of the positions to change the fins direction. "It works perfectly. There is no lag time from when I switch the pedal to when the fin changes. I could have never gotten it to work this flawlessly with the materials we have in the forge."

Toothless motioned his working tail a few more times in admiration of the resemblance. He turned back to the last item lying on the ground. || I think that is your new weapon Hiccup. || The boy quickly turned around to see a sword lying at his feet still within its sheath. He kneeled down and ran his hand over the cover. "I don't know if I'm ready for a sword. I can barely handle my little dagger, much less a real weapon." Toothless crooned to his human to reassure him. || I guess _he _thinks you're ready for it. I don't think he would have given it to you if you weren't ready. ||

Hiccup nodded then returned his attention to the weapon. It had an unusual vibe that came from it. He sighed as he picked up the sheath that held the sword. "I don't know if I could be of any use with a weapon." He unsheathed the black metal and cast it in front of him. Instantly the metal beyond the hilt came alight with an obsidian flame. The edges of the inferno were lined in white as the sword blazed vivaciously. Hiccup gasped and threw the sword as soon as the flame came into combustion. The two stared at the sword lying in the grass before them. || _That _could be useful. ||

Hiccup turned back to Toothless with eyes fully dilated. "What was that?! I just picked it up and it caught on fire! I-It wasn't even a normal fire; it had _black_ flames!" Toothless also was staring in trepidation of the weapons abnormal capability. || It's a little weird, but considering that it came from a god; I can't say it's the strangest thing we have seen. || Hiccup slowly walked towards the now flameless sword. He reached his hand out and brushed it against the black metal that was the weapons deadliest portion. "It's cold; almost like ice." Toothless walked up next to him and peered over his shoulder. || What kind of metal _is_ that? || Hiccup picked up the weapon once again, being careful not to wield it. "White Hilt." He admired the sword's beauty as he ran his fingers around the handle. "Well, the name serves it right. The hilt _is_ white, but this metal is like nothing I've ever seen. Solid black; when wielded comes to an ice cold midnight blaze…Kind of ironic." He carefully grabbed the hilt with both hands and cast it forward once again. Functioning like clockwork, the obsidian flames engulfed the swords blade. He didn't flinch this time; he simply watched as the flames burnt off towards the swords tip. He ran the edge of the blade across the grass in front of him, instantly lighting it ablaze. "What? How can that be? The flames are cold; how could they set things on fire?"

Toothless watched as the flames drifted off the edge of the sword, looking almost vicious as they turned white and feathered away. He blew a small blast of plasma next to where Hiccup had run the sword in the grass. The flames that came from his blast were nearly identical in nature to the ones that came off the sword.

Hiccup watched as the flames of the Night Fury and the blaze of his sword danced away. "I guess it's the same type of fire that comes from you bud; just a little different color." Toothless had a mischievous look across his face. His mind was racing with ideas. || But when I shoot my blast, it will explode on impact. || Hiccup caught the Night Fury's drift as he waved the flaming weapon in front of his face. "So if I were to swing it like this…." He rapidly swung the sword then abruptly halted it midair. The obsidian flames flew from the tip of the sword and slammed into the side of a tree at the edge of the forest; causing an immense explosion on the tree. The two gawked in wonder as the flames engulfed the tree before them. They almost spoke in unison as they reacted. "Oh…."

Toothless looked down to the sword then up to Hiccup. || Maybe you should put that down for a little while. ||Hiccup pulled the sword back and watched as the flames died down back to the bare metal. He placed his new weapon back into the sheath that it came in and wrapped the strap around his back. "What? Are scared now that I contain the _same_ deadly force as you?" Toothless scoffed at is human and rolled his eyes. || Only because I think that you need to learn to use it properly; otherwise we all might end up like that tree. || The two gazed over and watched as a flaming branch broke off and fell to the ground. || Are you going to put that out? ||

###

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AN: Well, what did you think? I kind of got the idea from the flaming sword that is in the pictures of Hiccup for HTTYD 2. I changed it a little bit and added some 'flair' to it.

You know the drill. If you loved it, hit that Favorite/ Follow and do both.

Thank you! Over 15,000 Views and over 150 Follows. You are great!


	12. Chapter 12: Curvature

AN: I know, I know. You all are thinking that I am a terrible person for dragging this update out for over a month. I do apologize for the wait. There have been a number of reasons for delay.

First, is that even though we have stayed very busy with work full time, my school has also started back up and that is taking much of my free time at night.

Second, is something that many of you may have noticed. I have released a new story since the last update of this Fic. It is called A Fury's Tribulation. For those of you who haven't seen the new story please give it a read and review. If you like this story then you might like the other as well, as they both are centered around Hiccup and Toothless.

Lastly, the main reason for the delay has been severe writers block. Even though I know where this story is going to end up and how its going to get there, it is just a whole different thing to get it on paper. I really appreciate those of you who have stuck with this form the beginning and I will try my hardest to get these updates out a little more timely.

So, without further ado,

I give you:

* * *

Truth and Reconciliation

Curvature

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As it turned out, putting the fire out was easier said than done. Hiccup and Toothless scrambled across the field in search for something to carry water in. Without a bucket, carrying water was pretty much impossible. A certain black Night Fury had the brilliant idea of fighting fire, with fire…. For the record, it didn't seem to work very well.

The blast of plasma did manage to spark Hiccup's mind though. He stepped away from the tree that was now fully engulfed in flames. "Hey Toothless; shoot at the ground just before the tree!"

The dragon cocked his head to the side, slightly confused, but complied with his human's request. The result was a wave of dirt plowing across the tree successfully putting out a large amount of the fire. Hiccup gained excitement and instructed the dragon to repeat the action. Another wave of dirt and soil covered the tree, successfully putting out more of the flames.

After a few more blasts of plasma, a large trench was made in front of the charred dead tree, but at least the fire was out. Hiccup chuckled slightly and walked over to the Night Fury's side. "Well, that was invigorating." His voice sounded sarcastic. Toothless rolled his eyes and nudged the boys arm. || I think it's time to try out _my _new toy. || Hiccup grinned at the dragon and nodded his head. "We will, don't worry. Let's go back over to the campfire and figure out what the rest of this list means."

The two casually sat down next to each other while Hiccup pulled out and read the list once more. He kept returning back to number to on the list. "What does he mean by an ally of electrical energy?" Toothless pawed the ground as he pondered on who or what the ally could be. || The only electrical beings we have come across are me and….Static. That must be who he was talking about when he mentioned electrical energy. Static has the capability to ride lightning bolts and fire off astonishing amounts of electricity. ||

Hiccup thought about it for a few moments as he leaned back against Toothless. "But Emilie isn't ready to leave Hidra yet. We can't risk taking the two of them away from there until she has had _some _kind of experience with Static."

Toothless gave a gentle purr to his human as he nodded in affirmation. || I'm sure that we will be fine while we go to the next village. We're learning how the villages seem to work around here and I think that we should be fine while we try and gain some new allies, especially with that new sword of yours. ||

Hiccup pulled the sword from his sheath and admired it as the black flame fluttered with the breeze. "I'm not sure how the other Vikings will think about this. There are a lot of them that feel that this kind of weapon is cast from the gods or is some sort of magic. And it is from a god, but I think that maybe we should keep it out of everyone's view just in case."

Toothless rolled his eyes at the overcautious teen. || I'm sure once you whip it out and show them its true power they will straighten themselves up and act obediently. || Hiccup chuckled slightly and put the sword back into its rightful place. "Hopefully, just seeing you will be enough for them to trust us."

Toothless lifted himself up and started walking over towards the new saddle that was lying on the ground. ||It's time to test this baby out. Maybe well finally get some speed of this fin. || Hiccup looked slightly confused up at the Night Fury. "What do you mean? I thought you always went plenty fast."

The Night Fury turned his head back to the boy and smirked. || If this new tail is anything like I think it's going to be, you might need to hang on a little tighter. If you thought we were fast before, you should have seen me before that fin was hacked off. || Hiccup started strapping the new saddle into place and connected the new tailfin so that it mimicked the real one. "Let's see if this works."

Hiccup threw his new coat around him and strapped himself onto the Night Fury's back. Within seconds the dragon leapt into the air and beat his powerful wings to help them gain altitude. Hiccup immediately noticed the increase in acceleration as they quickly approached speeds that were extremely difficult to get top before. "Wow buddy! I had no idea that you used to be able to fly _this _fast."

Toothless snorted to confirm the boy's suspicion. || You haven't seen nothing yet. || The Night Fury continued to climb higher and higher until they were miles above the clouds. Hiccup was starting to get a little nervous about the drastic height. "Uhhh, Toothless? Should we be flying this high?" The dragon kept beating his wings to propel them further and further. || Just a little bit higher, I know we can make it. || Hiccup looked down below him to see that they had already flown far above their previous record. "Make it to what?"

Toothless continued to beat his wings as long and as hard as he could. The air was getting thinner and thinner as they continued to rise farther and farther above the ground. Toothless couldn't take the time to try and explain as he thrust his wings again and again. || Almost…..There….Just a….little….more. ||

Hiccup was starting to panic from the severe oxygen depletion. "It's ok bud, we don't need to go any higher. Let's just turn back." The Night Fury beat his wings a few more times until they finally leveled off. || Finally. ||

Hiccups eyes went completely dilated as he saw what the dragon was trying to reach. "Wow." They were truly at unreachable heights by any other dragon or animal. The distance in which they could see was unbelievable. Hiccup scanned across the horizon and noticed something that he never thought would have been possible. "The ground…..it's, it's round!" The two were so high that they could see the curvature of the world in which they resided. "I can't believe it! I always thought that the world was flat. I never imagined that it would be round."

Toothless finally had a chance to catch his breath after the dramatic climb. || It's beautiful. The dragons have a name for our world. They always have called it, Earth. || Hiccup looked around in amazement. "It seems so surreal. It doesn't look like anything I ever thought." The Night Fury nudged the boy, getting his attention, and directed his gaze skyward. Hiccup did so and gasped from the sight above him. The world looked like it had a blue haze around it, but when he looked straight up, he could see the stars; the white dots that were surrounded by the black mass of space. "Is this what you always used to see?"

Toothless continued to admire their view as he looked straight into the heavens above. || To be honest, I think we have made it higher this time than I have before, but I have gotten to see the view of the curvature before. It's like nothing else in our world, and I just had to show you it. ||

Hiccup leaned over and rubbed the dragon's neck as a tear began to roll down his face. "Thanks bud. It's gorgeous." Toothless let out a long purr as he started to get ready for the decent. || It's always worth the trip, but now you get to experience the _real_ ride. ||

Hiccup swallowed nervously as he leaned down close to Toothless. "Uh oh…."

Uh oh was right. The two shot downward at an alarming rate. The Night Fury tucked his wings in to greatly increase their speed, producing the infamous whistle as they soured down faster than any dragon before. Hiccup could barely keep his eyes open from the wind rushing past him. Toothless grinned as he angled his dive to only gain more and more speed. Terminal velocity was quickly approaching as they rocketed through the first layer of clouds. A loud pulse sounded behind them as they broke the sound barrier.

Finally the water came into view and Toothless released his wings to slow their decent. The speed that they were carrying was far too fast to abruptly try and stop. The Night Fury had to slowly angle his dive to allow them to level out; creating an inward curvature in the process. Hiccup let out a shriek as he noticed the ground becoming closer and closer. "Uhhh Toothless! It's time to slow down!" The Night Fury snorted in response to his human. || Working on it! ||

The dragon gradually adjusted his wings to continue to level them out. After an incredible drop they finally leveled off just a few feet above the water. creating a massive fissure with the downward forces being pressed on by the Night Fury's wings.

Hiccup stared off into the distance and noticed an island quickly approaching. "Is that….Is that Hidra?" Toothless chuckled slightly as he confirmed the question. || Yes, that would be Hidra, and in record time might I say. I think it would be only fitting to give them a show. ||

Gunnar, Vilhehn, and all of their respective dragons were waiting patiently by the ocean for Hiccup and Toothless to arrive. He had been late before, but it was already past high noon. Their hopes were fulfilled as a screeching whistle accompanied by a lightning fast dragon came into view. Six quick blasts of plasma exploded just off the coast of the island in midair. A speeding object came flying across the ocean view at an unfathomable pace. The group of Vikings and dragons watched in awe as the beings flew around the island faster than anyone had thought possible.

Eventually the duo slowed their speed enough to come to a halt just off the shore in front of the rapidly growing crowd. Toothless came to a skidding halt just in front of the group of Vikings. Gunnar as well as Vilhehn looked up at the obsidian dragon in confusion. Gunnar leaned to his side as if he were trying to see more of the dragon. "Is that Toothless? Where's Hiccup?"

Hiccup stopped moving as he heard Gunnar's remark. He slowly lifted his hood and slid of the back of the Night Fury to show himself more clearly. "What do you mean-"

He stopped mid-sentence at the sea of shocked faces that greeted him. "Uhhh, is there something wrong?"

Vilhehn stepped forward and started to feel the cloth that the coat Hiccup was wearing was made of. "Wow! Where did you find this Hiccup?" He started walking around the boy, admiring his new outfit. "Whatever that thing is made of turned you to be nearly invisible while on the back of your Night Fury."

Hiccup glanced down at his body then over to Toothless who was also looking over his body. He looked at the saddle which was nearly undistinguishable and back to the tailfin that was seemingly never amputated.

Gunnar walked forward to greet Hiccup and the Night Fury. "You're gone for one day and you come back with a new wardrobe for you _and _Toothless?"Hiccup slowly looked back to the chief's son grinning wildly. "We had a fortunate run in with an old friend." He didn't want to let on that he was chosen by a go to receive such items. "So you really couldn't see me at all on Toothless' back?"

Gunnar just shook his head as he glanced between the two. The Night Fury's lack of a saddle and regenerated tailfin caught his eye. "What happened to him? His tail's back to normal and his saddle's gone. You didn't go and get yourself into trouble again did you?"

Hiccup chuckled and shook his head. "No. Just look a little closer. The saddle just matches his hide and the tailfin mimics his other one. They are both just really hard to notice now."

Gunnar walked over to the dragon's side and Hiccup followed beside him. Hiccup looked over the saddle once more, still stunned at how well it matched the scales on the Night Fury's back. "See the saddle's outline as it sticks up just above his back?"

Vilhehn came up behind the two, but couldn't help but notice the new weapon across Hiccup's back. "Hey Hiccup, what is this?" He reached up and grabbed the sword hilt, but immediately flinched away as a bolt of lightning jetted from the sword. "Whoa!"

Hiccup swung himself around to see Vilhehn rubbing his hand in pain. "What happened?" Vilhehn looked to the boy in shock. "Your weapon, it shocked me." Hiccup looked up quizzically at the chief as he reached up and pulled the sword from the sheath, completely forgetting the outcome of his actions. The sword instantly lit up in black flames as he held the sword in front of him. He admired the sword's ability for a moment until Toothless jarred his thoughts. || Hiccup! Put the sword away! ||

Hiccup shook his head and looked up at the crowd of jaw-hanging individuals. "Whoops!" He quickly placed the sword back into the sheath to extinguish the flames. He cautiously chuckled and gave a small grin to the crowd before him.

Vilhehn backed away slightly as he starred in fear of the boy and his outrageous weapon. "Hiccup, where did you get that sword and why did it just burst into flames?"

Whispering and murmurs started resulting behind the chief. Several of the villagers started backing away while letting words just past their lips, along the lines of 'cursed' and 'black magic'.

Toothless came up alongside of Hiccup and stood in front of him protectively. || Hiccup, these people are getting suspicious of you. It would be better if we left. ||

Hiccup pushed aside the wing that was blocking his way and walked towards the group of people. "It's ok Toothless. These people trust us, they will understand." He stopped just in front of the crowd just as they continued to back away. "It's ok everyone. We're not cursed or using any kind of magic."

One of the Vikings from the back shouted towards Hiccup. "Then how do you explain that sword, and your coat, and the new saddle and tailfin!"

Hiccup shook his head and sighed. "I can't give you the explanation that you're looking for, but I assure you that it's not magic." Toothless eagerly bumped his head into Hiccup trying to get the boy to leave. "It's ok Toothless, these are good people. They will trust us." Hiccup turned back to the crowd to see more cautious looking faces and Vikings that were preparing for an attack. He looked up to Vilhehn who had backed away towards his people. "You really don't believe me? After everything I have shown you and we have done?"

Vilhehn looked warily over the boy in front of him and looked back to his people. "What do you think my fellow Vikings?" His answer was nothing but shaking heads and a few more mumbles about being 'cursed'. None of the people trusted Hiccup anymore. Vilhehn had to agree with the consensus of his tribe. He was a leader by the people, not a leader over the people. He turned back to Hiccup who was still looking desperately up at him. "I'm sorry Hiccup. Here at Hidra, we do not associate with magic nor do we wish to be around it. Could you please give us some sort of reasonable explanation towards these odd new pieces you have come across?"

Hiccup looked back at Toothless. "What do you think bud? Should we tell them the reason we have these gifts?" The Night Fury looked back at him with a firm glare. || Hiccup, you know we can't tell them. It wouldn't be right and I'm sure that god wouldn't allow it. There is no need to test his patience. || Hiccup shook his head and ran his hands through his hair nervously. "But if we don't tell them then they won't trust us anymore!" The dragon shook his head and backed up slowly. || Then we can't help those who aren't willing. ||

Hiccup reluctantly turned back to the vigilant crowd. He looked over each of the faces that just one day before had full trust and faith in him. He couldn't believe how quickly they could change their mind and suddenly want nothing to do with him. "You guys have to believe that these are gifts. These are not cursed items that are using some kind of magic!"

The villagers were not persuaded. One of them spoke up of the still ongoing whispers. "You never even told us how you can talk to the Night Fury. How do you expect us to trust you when you don't even trust us?" There were several nods from Vikings in agreement. Hiccup lowered his head, losing hope. "No." He looked back up to face them. "You _need _to listen to me. I have done nothing but bring peace and allies to your island. You need to believe me."

Toothless stepped forward next to Hiccup nervously. || Hiccup, _we _need to go. These people are only getting angrier. We don't want this to get violent. ||Hiccup shook his head again. "No! I know that these people trust me. We just need to show them that we mean well."

Vilhehn stepped forward and withdrew his sword. "Hiccup. We are asking you to leave this island immediately. Please do not make us use unnecessary force." Hiccup looked up at the man baffled. "How could you honestly believe this Vilhehn?! This is crazy! You know that I wouldn't do something like that!"

Vilhehn shook his head at the ignorant boy. "No Hiccup, I _don't_ know if you would do something like this…. Now please, leave immediately."

Several of the villagers started drawing their weapons and advancing on the boy. Hiccup started running for Vilhehn to put some sense into the man. He was abruptly stopped by the body of a Night Fury. "Toothless. Get out of my way! I need to show Vilhehn and Gunnar the truth." Toothless remained in front of the boy, completely unwilling to cooperate. || Hiccup! We need to leave _now_! ||

Hiccup continued to protest as the villagers started raising their swords to harm the two. Toothless finally had enough of it and took the situation under his control. He swiftly threw his body underneath Hiccup and darted for the cliff side. He knew that if he would jump over the edge, Hiccup would be forced to correct the tailfin.

Hiccup scrambled onto the saddle to try and get off the dragon. Toothless managed to angle his wings to prevent the boy from leaping from his back. "Toothless no! I can convince them! You just need to give me some time." The dragon didn't want anything to do with an island that was uncooperative. He threw himself into the air and over the edge of the cliff, only to start free falling immediately.

Hiccup gasped as soon as he felt the weightlessness surround him. He quickly threw himself around to be able to sit upright on the Night Fury's back. He slammed his foot into the stirrups and pushed the left one down as far as it would go, trying to force the pair to fly back to the island. Toothless yelped in pain, but spread his wings just above the surface of the sea, leaving just inches between him and the water. He coasted above the water and slowly ascended away from the island.

Hiccup looked down at the stirrup and jerked his foot downward once again to force Toothless to retreat to the island. Toothless let out a roar in pain as Hiccup forced his foot down. || Take it easy would you? |They continued to fly away from the Island of Hidra. Hiccup glanced down at the contraption that allowed him to control the fin, then he looked back to see it was working flawlessly with the opposing tailfin. "What's going on?! We should be turning around. Toothless go back!"

The Night Fury flew on as if he never heard the boy. He couldn't help but move around his tail as if something was wrong with it, or…. Right. He flapped his tailfin that he knew was intact, but then he moved the fin that was supposedly fake. The Night Fury started making slow dives followed by quick climbs through the air. He started making quick turns to test his new found ability.

Hiccup finally caught on to what the dragon was doing. He was controlling the tailfin. "Toothless, how are you doing this?" The Night Fury finished with a barrel roll and leveled off. || You have no idea how long I've wanted to be able to do that. || Hiccup looked back at the tailfin noticing that it was moving in perfect sync with the other. "But how?"

Toothless fanned the fins in and out to his liking as he enjoyed being able to feel what he had lost. || I don't know. It happened when you slammed your foot down in the stirrup. || Hiccup looked back down at his foot and saw that his foot went down a little further than normal when he pushed the pedal down. "It doesn't make any sense though; bottom position usually makes us come to halt and force you to turn back." He picked up on the pedal and the dragon below him wavered slightly.

He shifted through the normal positions to see if they all worked properly. Each position seemed to work fine. Everything from climbing to descending and even sharp hairpin turns was executed flawlessly. Hiccup couldn't figure out what was making it possible for Toothless to control the fin. He forced his foot down one more time into the place where he saw it before. Toothless turned his head immediately and growled at the pain in his side. || That! Whenever you do that it clamps onto my side and pinches one of my nerves. ||

Toothless stopped growling once he noticed the feeling of the tailfin was back. || And _that _must be how I am controlling the fin. It pinches the nerve that would normally go to the real tailfin and it lets me control it. || Hiccup starred in awe of the system that was working through what he thought was just ropes and cords. "I guess these aren't normal ropes after all…. It looks like we have a new position to work with. It's _your _position; one that will let you control the fin without me."

Toothless took a moment to think about the new ability. He thought about what it meant that he could fly without Hiccup if his tail was in this position. || Take it out. ||

Hiccup leaned back perplexed by the dragon's request. "What? Why? Does it still hurt?" Toothless shook his head and sighed. || No, it doesn't hurt anymore. Just take it out. I don't want to ever fly without you again Hiccup. Just because this tail gives me the opportunity, doesn't mean I want to use it. If I ever want to go flying, I'm nearly positive that you would go as well, so take it out of the position. ||

Hiccup reluctantly picked up on the pedal with his heel to return the control to himself. "But Toothless, this could be useful. If we were to ever get separated then you could still fly and save me-"

||No! I don't want to even think about that. Hiccup, you will never leave my sight. I will not make the mistake of letting you get in harm's way. ||

The two flew in silence from then on. Hiccup was both confused by both the Night Fury's actions and the village of Hidra. He couldn't believe that they would turn on him so quickly over what seemed like nothing to him. They flew on into the sunset until the last little bit of the curved sun dipped down past the horizon.

They eventually touched down at their secluded island to figure out their next course of action and to prepare for the night. Hiccup slid off the dragon's back and immediately started inspecting the mechanism that made it possible for Toothless to control the tailfin. He quickly noticed the sharp object that was concealed within the pedal. It seemed to work perfectly; as he moved the pedal down, it would pierce into the dragon's side.

A spot of dried blood was still stained on the sharp object. Hiccup followed the trail of blood down the Night Fury's side and he was shocked to see blood dripping down from the side of his chest. "Toothless! You're hurt!" The Night Fury brought his head around to witness the damage to his side. || I thought that was a little more painful than something just clamping on my side. I guess that would explain why I was feeling light-headed towards the end of the flight…. All the more reason _not _to use it. ||

Hiccup shook his head and got up to walk over to his belongings. "Toothless, you need to tell me when you think you're hurt. I can't help you if you don't let me know something's wrong." He pulled some cloths out of his bag along with a bottle of liquid. "I know that you always want to be the one to protect me and that you probably always will be the one to, but you _need _to let me know when _I _can help _you_."

Hiccup walked back over to the dragon's side and poured some of the clear liquid on one of the strips of fabric. He looked up to Toothless and saw the Night Fury's wariness. "I'm sorry bud, but this is going to sting a bit. This should help clean the cut and prevent anything from infecting this gash."

Toothless nodded to the boy and gestured for him to proceed with what he wanted to do. Hiccup took the cloth and placed it on the side of the dragon that immediately jumped from the sudden biting pain. Hiccup sighed and looked back to Toothless' face. "You have to let me do this bud. We can't risk letting you get infected." The dragon took a deep breath and stilled himself to let Hiccup proceed.

Once again, Hiccup brought the cloth to the cut and he started cleaning all around the deep gash. The Night Fury flinched a few times, but otherwise stayed fairly still. Once Hiccup was satisfied the gash was clean he took the rest of the cloths and packed them in between the saddle harness and the cut to keep pressure on it. "Alright bud, that should do it. You just need to take it easy for the- Whoa!"

Toothless leapt onto him and showered his face in Night Fury saliva. Hiccup struggled to gasp for air in between the strokes of the dragon's tongue. "Ok, ok. You're welcome bud. You can let me back up now." The Night Fury slowly backed away to allow the boy to stand. He sat back on his hind legs and crooned to the boy as Hiccup dusted himself off. Hiccup chuckled at the affectionate dragon. "You're definitely not what people think of as 'the deadly Night Fury'.

Toothless rolled his eyes and blew a stream of plasma on to the ground before him so he could curl up for the night. He then gestured for Hiccup to come to his side. || But _you're_ not what the Vikings all think of as a useless runt. || Hiccup beamed a smile at the dragon and settled down next to him for the night.

Hiccup shivered slightly as Toothless closed his wing around him. || Winter is coming. We are going need to find somewhere that we can settle for the cold season. We can't stay out in the open like this much longer. Even I wouldn't be able to stay healthy in the cold weather that plagues this area during winter. || Hiccup curled into a ball and laid his head down at the dragon's side. "Well at least you are able to keep me warm with your incredible body heat.

Toothless looked out across the land and then placed his head down next to Hiccup's. || It's a benefit of having fire inside. || Hiccup smiled to the dragon and closed his eyes to rest. "I'm sure there is a long list of benefits to being a dragon…. I'm just glad that I have gotten to know one so well."

Hiccup finally fell asleep to the resonating purrs from the Night Fury and Toothless eventually fell into a state of slumber along with him. What they didn't know was that just over the horizon awaited a village that had just received the news of Alvin's death.

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AN: So, What did you think? I know it probably wasn't worth the wait, but at least there is another chapter out for your viewing pleasure.I tried to let you know that there is still more around the corner with this fic and we are only a little over half way through.

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Also, please take a look at A Fury's Tribulation if you haven't done so. I am fairly confident you won't be disappointed.

Thank you for viewing and reading this far in!

Milestone of the week: 20,000 Views! That's incredible! We also hit over 150 reviews since the last update. Keep it up!


	13. Chapter 13: Mist

AN: Well, I felt really bad for the super long delay on the previous chapter so I tried to get this one done in a reasonable amount of time.

I give you:

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Truth and Reconciliation

Mist

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"I can't believe them!" Hiccup shouted as he threw White Hilt into a large tree before him. Toothless sat by patiently as his human was casually letting off steam from the occurrence the day before. "This is absolutely ridiculous! They couldn't take my word on one little thing after everything we did for them?!"

The Night Fury knew not to answer the rhetorical question. Although he wasn't quite as upset as Hiccup was about the whole ordeal, he just chose to shrug it off. He knew they would always have a second chance and that they would gradually learn more about how to train the humans to their liking. Toothless was more curious about what would happen if they would have told the people of Hidra about the true origin of their new equipment.

If Hiccup would have told them about how he got the weapons, the village would have only been angrier and cast it off as a lie, wouldn't they? Hiccup dislodged the sword from tree he had thrown it at. The sword lit up once again as he grabbed the hilt and immediately went out as Hiccup chose his next target and hurled the sword at it.

The sword stuck perfectly into the side of the next tree. Hiccup had figured that he should practice throwing the weapon rather than attempt to use it up close and in hand because of the chance of lighting the entire forest on fire. Once again, he forcefully ripped the sword from the tree and threw it at another. "Why would they be willing to turn on us so easily? This doesn't make any sense; why they would have such little faith in us?" Hiccup continued to practice with his sword while Toothless patiently watched.

|| Maybe we should have tried telling them the truth. || Hiccup stopped and stared right over at the obsidian reptile. "What? What are you talking about? _You _are the one who said that it was a bad idea and that we shouldn't tell them. You said that you thought the god would have reacted badly to us telling them!"

The dragon hung his head for a moment and sighed. || I know Hiccup, I just didn't think that he would want us telling the world about how we received all the new things and why only we would get them and not anyone else. ||

Hiccup shook his head in frustration. "Why wouldn't you let me just tell them Toothless!? I could have explained it to them and we would most likely be fine right now! I'm sure they would have understood why we were nervous in the first place and it would have explained the fact that we can talk!" He threw his sword around but did not release it. The result was as expected; a massive fireball shot from the sword's tip and impacted against the side of a small Cliff nearby. A few large boulders tumbled down after the explosion, landing harshly on the ground below.

Hiccup looked over at Toothless then rolled his eyes and stormed off. He mumbled to himself as he walked over to the cliff side alone. "Over protective dragon. Why can't he just let me do what I think is right? Why is it that every time we get into a situation he thinks he should be out in front like someone is going to try and kill me?"

He kicked a stone over the edge and into the sea. He watched as the rock flew down and splashed into the water. The cool ocean mist flowed over the edge of the cliff right past him, as though attempting to cool of his anger with a certain Night Fury. He was too frustrated with Toothless at the moment to try and talk it out with him. Hiccup needed to be alone for once and have the time to himself. Sitting down, he faced away from the Night Fury that he was sure was staring over at him helplessly.

He knew the dragon meant well by trying to protect him, but there were times that he just needed to let him work out the situation without fleeing or causing a massive fight. He thought back to the event at Outcast Island and back to the argument he had with the dragon right before Toothless burst out of the prison block and started the massacre that slain his father. He knew the dragon wouldn't have killed him on purpose, nor would he have killed Alvin, but if the dragon would just listen to him every now and then they wouldn't run into the issues such as this.

If they had fled Outcast Island like Hiccup wanted, they most likely would have made it out alive along with everyone else. The dragon was too persistent about fighting. He thought that he surely would have been killed if they just tried to flee the island; he thought that they needed to make them remember how dangerous the Night Fury was and to cause them to not want to try and chase them down. It seemed to work out fine by killing the two chiefs along with several others by striking fear into their hearts.

Hiccup sighed and sat down on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the desolate sea before him. He couldn't blame Toothless for what happened on Outcast Island. He knew that the dragon would live and die for him as well as doing everything within his power to keep harm away. He could only think about if the Night Fury would just listen to him every now and then how some of the terrible situations that they have come across may have been avoided.

Unfortunately, there was no hope left for the village of Hidra. Hiccup knew that they couldn't go back with the way that they left and how the village must think of him now. They would most likely send an army of dragons his way if he even attempted to come near the village. It was so difficult for Hiccup to understand the reason why the village turned on him so quickly, especially with Vilhehn and Gunnar. He thought that at least _they _would stand by his side. Gunnar was too loyal to his father and Vilhehn to his village. Neither of the two men could side with him without being banished as well.

Hiccup looked slightly over his shoulder to see a pained Night Fury curled into a ball next to the campfire. He looked away and lowered his head, feeling bad for the dragon. The beast was doing what he honestly thought was right and now Hiccup was punishing him for it by not speaking to him.

He thought back to the letter he got with the new gear. He didn't remember it ever stating that he couldn't tell anyone where the items came from. He just knew he had to use them wisely and for the right purpose. He knew there would only be one way to convince new tribes without them fearing him of using black magic. He had to tell the _truth._

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Astrid watched the town as they continued through their daily lives. The town was quieter now. Not just because of the chief's voice that no longer bellowed throughout the streets, not just because of Hiccup no longer trying out some new contraption and failing miserably. It seemed like many people had lost hope towards the village.

Even Gobber, who normally would be hammering away at his latest creation so that he could show it off to the village, was completely silent as he stared at the growing pile of metalwork that was lay within his shop. Astrid felt terrible for the man that had lost his will to live. He had lost all the people in his life that mattered to him most. Hiccup was gone and there was no hope of him ever coming back, now that he was seen as not just an outcast but also a man that killed their profound chief.

Stoick's death was what hit Gobber the hardest though. He no longer showed up at mealtimes, he no longer was limping through the village to show off his newest sword or mace. Ever since he returned from the battle that took place on Outcast Island, everything about him had changed. Fishlegs was no longer excited to go and work with the depressed man and the teen seemed to only make it worse every time he showed up.

Gobber hadn't participated in a single raid since he got back. Every time the dragons came, it seemed like there was some new excuse as to why he couldn't go out and fight. It seemed fine at first why he wouldn't want to go and fight the dragons, but now that more people had lost their lives it was thought that he would have a change of heart to begin killing them once again. Every time a raid began though, he seemingly disappeared from the village until the dragons had left. Astrid had asked him about why he was against the raids, but all he said was that it had to do with Hiccup. the answer only served to confuse her even further.

The former chief's son was on her mind more often, now that Stoick was gone and _he _was to blame. Astrid looked over to the old chief's house. No one had entered the home since the death of Stoick. No one felt the need to invade the privacy of their beloved chief. "Who could let something kill their own father?!" There was a pause while Astrid overlooked the desolate village.

"He didn't."

Astrid threw herself around to see the depressed looking blacksmith standing behind her. "What did you say?" Gobber sighed and closed his eyes. "He didn't…. _Hiccup _didn't." Astrid looked up to the man, confused; why was he suddenly behind her and talking to her? "Gobber, what are you talking about? What do you mean Hiccup didn't do it. Of course he did it. He just stood by and watched as he let his dragon kill Chief Stoick!"

Gobber shook his head then came and sat down next to the girl. "No Astrid, that's not what happened." Astrid looked away from the man back down to the village where a few men were preparing to switch for dragon watch. "But that's what everyone said-"

"I know what everyone said Astrid!" Gobber sounded as if he had been holding in the topic for far to long. "Hiccup didn't _let _the Night Fury kill Stoick. He didn't want the dragon to kill him. I was there as well; unfortunately I was just a little too late to stop Stoick from trying to kill his son."

Astrid had a baffled look on her face as if she had never heard this part of the story. "Stoick tried to kill Hiccup?" Gobber nodded and sighed once again. "Aye, I had just arrived to the scene as Stoick raised his sword to strike his son down. Just before he lunged the Night Fury broke free from its restraints and went berserk….. I guess the dragon wouldn't allow Stoick to kill his human."

Astrid was still looking confused, but not for what Gobber expected. "_His_?"

Gobber was taken back as he realized he said too much. "No I didn't." Astrid rolled her eyes at the burly man trying to cover up his secret. "What happened Gobber? How did you know the dragon was a he?"

Gobber slouched down in his position and sighed yet again. "You kids don't miss a beat do you?" Astrid just smiled smugly. Gobber rolled his eyes. "Just like Hiccup you are…. The kids always find out first." He turned to look back to the village. "Hiccup was right….. He was right about the dragons."

Astrid was shocked to hear Gobber say something like that. How could he of all people think that the Viking way was wrong, and that someone like Hiccup was right? She looked back up to him questioningly. "How do you know?"

Gobber sat in silence for a moment until Astrid made a fake sounding cough to regain his attention. "Yes, yes. Well, to be completely honest with you, Hiccup showed me. The night before battle took place, me, Stoick, Alvin and his second in command and I gave Hiccup and his Night Fury a visit in the prison block. The dragon seemed completely normal to us, growling and hissing violently, but when someone went close to the cell or got angry with Hiccup, the beast would circle himself around Hiccup as if to protect him….. We didn't really know how smart the creature was, but it was apparent that he frightened every last Outcast on that island."

Astrid thought about how the situation worked out. "But how do you know that the dragons aren't deadly?"

Gobber shook his head once more. "Oh no. They are most definitely deadly. Wasn't that obvious, seeing what happened to Stoick and Alvin? No, the only thing that I learned about them that night was that they have reason. As long as one doesn't provoke the beast, then they can reason with them. Hiccup realized this when he shot down Toothless."

Astrid scoffed at the mention of Hiccup's _pet _dragon. "I really doubt that the dragons are able to be reasoned with. I bet the only reason Hiccup was able to train _Toothless_ was just a fluke."

The burly Viking stared at the young girl with a look of disappointment. "Look, I know that you and Hiccup never really hit it off, but you need to cut him some slack ever now and then. Am I the only one other than him that noticed how poorly he was treated around here?!"

Astrid looked down in shame, thinking back on Hiccup and his general treatment on Berk. She never really thought about how much Hiccup went through. She could remember all the times were Snotlout and the twins would purposely lure Hiccup from his home just to bring him to the far end of the forests and leave him. It was no wonder why he went and ran off with the Night Fury. She sighed as she looked back up to Gobber. "We never really cared about what Hiccup did. It wasn't until he started doing better in the ring that I even took notice of him."

Gobber looked away as if he were trying to hide his face. "You have no idea how proud of him I was during that time. He might not have been of my heir, but there was no doubt in my mind that he was like a son….. I didn't approve of the way Stoick raised Hiccup so I decided that it would be best if I took him as an apprentice. Stoick wasn't pleased at first, but after a few more of Hiccup's little _hiccups, _he knew that it would be best. From then on I was always proud of that boy, even if he wasn't the best at anything or even if he wasn't my own."

The two Viking sat in silence for a moment as they remembered the total misfit of the village and how much he had changed since. Astrid looked back up to her instructor with a confused look on her face. "So how did you find out that dragons were not deadly?"

For the first time in what seemed like ages. Astrid saw a smile pop up on the man's face. Gobber turned toward her smirking slightly. "Well, as I was saying, Hiccup was trying to convince Stoick that his dragon could be reasoned with, but Stoick wouldn't have any part of it. The chief stormed off along with Alvin and his henchman…. I stayed back for a few minutes to try and give Hiccup some tips about dealing with his stubborn father. But after talking with him for a few minutes, Hiccup somehow managed to calm down the Night Fury and he convinced me to stick my hand through the bars to touch the dragon."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "So what you're saying is that you lost your arm, again?"

Gobber took his good hand and slapped her upside the head. "No you moron! I stuck my good hand in and waited for the dragon to touch my hand. To tell you the truth, I hadn't been that nervous in a long time. It's not every day you trust your life to a Night Fury."

Astrid made a motion for him to continue with the story. Gobber shook his head and smirked. "Oh right, but as the dragon pressed his snout into my hand, I could feel everything about him. I could feel the beast's heart beating within; I could feel the dragon's warm breaths being forced in between my fingertips; I could feel the trust he had put into me. I could have sworn that the beast was able to sync his heart with my own. It was as if the dragon was creating a bond between me and him. I could have-"

"Alright Gobber, I get it, you can move on." Astrid chuckled slightly and rolled her eyes.

Gobber eyed he carefully then smirked. "Anyways, it was truly incredible. I never thought that those creatures even had a mind of their own, but after seeing that Night Fury protect and stay loyal to Hiccup, it seemed like a whole new world to me."

Astrid smiled and turned to face the village once more. "So why are you telling _me_ this?"

Gobber sighed for the umpteenth time. "Well, you're the only one that will be able to convince the rest of the village that Hiccup is still a good person. The rest of the Vikings won't trust me. When Hiccup comes back I am going to need some persuasive people on my side to help bail out the boy and his dragon."

Astrid looked out to sea for any sign of life on the distant horizon. "Do you think Hiccup will come back?"

Gobber nodded and smiled. "Aye, he will be back. He's going to come back trying to convince the world that dragons are nothing more than a common house pet, but don't tell him that. I don't think he will appreciate anyone calling his Night Fury a _pet._"

Astrid lay back on the grassy hill and admired the moonlit landscape along with the one of a kind village they called home. "Well, I don't know if I'm going to help you convince the village that Hiccup's a good guy, but I won't say anything against him."

Gobber smiled and got up to return to his work place. "I really appreciate it Astrid, and I know Hiccup will too."

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A lone Viking made his way towards the front of the massive ship that was sailing straight to Outcast Island. He knew that they were getting close and that the captain would want to be informed early in advance of their arrival. He went down the stairs to the ship's inner decks towards the captain's quarters. He breathed in a long sigh and let out a silent prayer to not be thrown overboard. Cautiously, he solidly knocked thrice on the captain's door.

The door swung open to reveal an angry man that stood nearly seven feet tall on dry land, but on the tight space of the ship he was forced to hunch over to avoid hitting the ceiling. "What do you want, you useless runt." The much shorter and younger male swallowed his fear and spoke up carefully. "I just wanted to announce that we should arrive within the hour." The massive man standing in the narrow doorway narrowed his eyes at the messenger then gave an annoyed sigh. "Fine. Get out of here and let the rest of the ship know to prepare for landing." The man simply smiled and took no time at all to turn and walk away while thanking the other Viking for the opportunity. He wasn't really thankful to have to communicate to the rest of the ship that they were making port, but at least he was going to survive another day.

The large man rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut as he walked back into the room. A young female voice came from the bed where the captain slept. "What did he want Virion?" Her tone was harsh and aggravated. She was sitting up in the bed staring coldly over at the behemoth of a man.

Virion grew up being the best of his tribe and had never been thought less of. He won every competition he was cast into, massacred every dragon that got in his path, and had never looked over his shoulder in fear. He wasn't raised with wealth, nor was he of royalty. He made a name for himself for his own actions and everyone knew that he was a not a Viking to cross paths with. He didn't care for any other _man's_ opinion. He took what he wanted and left nothing for the others.

Virion was one of the tallest Vikings known, even rivaling the height of the well-known tribe that thrived on Berk. Despite not being born with blue blood, no one would dare doubt the authority he held now. While being a man of strength and power, he didn't waste time with the starving or the helpless. A Viking was meant to work for his wealth; if he is slow and incompetent, he will fail. Virion had lived by these words ever since his father spoke them to him the day he became a man.

He looked up at the gorgeous woman that was growing impatient by the delayed response. "It was the messenger; he was informing us of the arrival to Outcast Island." The woman lowered her line of sight, thinking about the reason behind their trip to the island that was reserved for the worst and unless of the so called Vikings. She thought back to the last time she was at the dreaded island. A raging fury quickly built within her system, one that caused her to shake her head violently and quickly jump off the bed so she could look out the window to catch a glimpse of the island and tell whether the messenger spoke the truth. A large wave crashed against the glass of the window, leaving behind the drops of saltwater on the pane, through which an ocean mist could be seen. The boat crested over a wave and sure enough, the tip of Outcast Peak showed its ugly face.

She turned from the window and stared back at Virion callously. "As soon as we arrive, I want the current leader of that dejected island at the port of my ship. I want everyone of my crew to take each and every soul that still remains on that island into custody and placed into confinement. For the remaining dragons left in the cells, kill them and strip them of their hide. I want this to be a quick visit and I don't want any problems."

The man nodded and started to walk out the door. "Mist?" The beautiful woman turned back to give the man the benefit of her listening. "Are we just going to leave the island deserted?" She sighed and shook her head gently. "No, I want you to start at the back of the island and light fires across the landscape. As we leave, I don't want to see anything left except raging fires and ash. If you come across any sign of the suspect, capture him and bring him to me, alive."

The man nodded once more and walked out the doorway to head to the top of the ship. He _was_ part of the hierarchy now, but that didn't mean anything while Mist was in charge, What she said went. If there was something that she wanted or didn't want, it was his job to make sure the task was done properly and efficiently.

He trudged up the stairs of the massive ship and out into the open. He looked for himself over to the unsuspecting island. The motionless land already seemed so dead. The land of outcasts was nothing without the treacherous leader that once ruled. Virion looked over to the prison block that was blocked off and many of the nearby buildings, which were now quite demolished. He figured that must have been the location for the battle they had heard of.

The boat came to port within the hour and Virion kept a watchful eye for any outcasts that seemed to be working in charge. There was one man standing at the docks right where they were headed. He was not as bulky or full of muscle like the many other men that were scattered across the island. The lesser man motioned for the boat to pull alongside him so he could assist in helping them dock.

Savage waited patiently as the taller of men stepped of the boat and approached him. "Welcome to Outcast Island, I assume you are the-"

"We can skip the pleasantries if you don't mind." Virion was not in the mood to speak with his future prisoners. "I assume you're the one in charge around here?"

Savage nodded and began to walk down the dock to show the man the island. "Yes, my name is Savage and I can show you around the island. I assume you want me to show you the location of the-"

"That won't be needed Savage." Virion didn't leave he place next to the ship. "I need you to stay here for a moment while I go get the captain." Savage nodded once again and stayed on the docks awaiting the ruler of the tribe.

Mist stepped of the boat and glared over at the island that was once ruled by Alvin. She turned to his second in command and sized him up. "Alvin left _you _in charge?"

Savage swallowed harshly and sighed. He could only think about how similar she was to Alvin. 'Great, another Treacherous that follows suit.' "Why yes I am Ms. Treacherous-"

"Don't ever call me that again you worthless, pathetic excuse for an Outcast! If you want to live to see another day, I expect you to do exactly as I say and only speak when I allow you to. Do you understand?"

Savage cautiously nodded and looked away from the woman in charge. He never thought that she would be _worse _than Alvin. Mist looked over to the island and then back to Savage. "Take me to the place where it happened and tell me exactly how it took place." She turned to Virion that was standing next to her. "And you need to do exactly as I instructed you to do. Grab the crew and get started."

Virion nodded and stepped back onto the ship to round up his assistants. He told them to grab the flammables and to follow him to the far side of the island. He instructed the remaining crew to capture all of the members of the Outcast tribe and to place them in the brig. He soon left the boat and headed for the far side of the island.

Mist and Savage walked towards the prison block while Savage informed her how the boy and his Night Fury had taken on the entire village and still managed to escape. He stressed the fact that not one of the guards could handle the task of looking after the dragon while it was in the prison. "We have never had a dragon that was able to strike fear into every one of our guards. The beast seemed to know exactly what was going on and it was smarter than any other of the species. We have taken down Nightmares, Nadders and even a Whispering Death, but none was as provoking or as intelligent as the Night Fury."

Mist rolled her eyes at the last statement. "You mean to tell me that an entire village couldn't control one pathetic dragon? It doesn't matter what type of the species they are, none of them are _intelligent. _They are all just a bunch of mindless beasts that crave the blood of our own and steal our supplies."

Savage shook his head slightly. "If you saw this dragon I guarantee that you would believe me. Every one of the guards swore that he and the boy could talk to each other. The Night Fury was so protective of the boy that he never let him out of his sight."

Mist sighed and once again rolled her eyes. "You are all hopeless…. But who is this boy you keep speaking of. What does he have to do with the killing of my father?"

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AN: Well, what did you think? Was it any good? Do you have questions about the new characters? I certainly hope so.

Thank you all for reviewing and such, I really appreciate it.

Milestone of the week: 150 FAVORITES! You have no idea how excited that makes me. Thank you so much! We also had the biggest viewing day in this stories history. over 1000 views... in one day! It was over 1500 in the first 24hrs. Thanks again!


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